He's known as an outspoken and fiery radio talk show host but this morning on Wave Radio 'Stiletto,' properly known as Clement Palacio, was muted, even low key. But, actually it's a miracle he was even on the air because Stiletto was shot in the head this weekend. Of course, whenever such a high profile media and political personality is he victim of violent crime, it immediately raises the question of a political motive. But Stiletto says it's no such thing. I spoke to him this morning to find out more.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting
On Saturday at 12:15 am popular radio personality Clement Palacio better known as "Papa Roots" or most recently as 'Stiletto' was in the driver's seat of this 1987 Mercedes Benz car when a bullet struck him in the back of the head.
Clement Palacio, Shooting Victim
"We heard gunshots fired and within a couple of seconds I realized that I had been hit you know when blood start5ed streaming down my clothing. It was then I realized that I had gotten shot.
The shots came from an unidentified vehicle that was travelling behind on the western highway. Palacio says he was travelling with a relative Wayne Swasey when they came under fire about one hundred yards away from the junction of Faber's Road and the Western Highway. Palacio is lucky to be alive. While the slug did lodge in Palacio's head it did not penetrate the brain nor cause any grievous injury.
Clement Palacio,
"Well I am fine. It was lodged in the he but it was between the skin and my skull so I did a minor surgery at the KHMH and I think that has been taken care of."
Palacio received several stitches and then was released from the KHMH. Police say they have no idea who fired the shots or a description of the shooter's vehicle.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Because you are an outspoken critic of the government of the day, do you believe this may have been politically motivated?
Clement Palacio,
"I wish to categorically state that I do not think it was politically motivated. If the incident had not happen at the gas station then clearly I would have been thinking along political lines but I am happy that you have given me this opportunity because I want to categorically state that in no way can I direct any kind of attention on those to the other side of the political fence. That would be responsible of me to do so."
Attention however is being given to an incident that happened earlier that night at a gas station where Palacio pulled in to refuel before heading west.
Clement Palacio,
"We had an altercation with some guys at the one Stop Shell gas station not me really my cousin was in a dispute with on of the guys in the vehicle
to the back that were clearly impatient with the fact that we were ahead and in their view we were not moving quick enough but you know it was a substantial amount of fuel and that was the issue that they were having. So when I came back out, I took my cousin and I put him in the back seat of the car and we drove away."
Now police are reviewing tapes from the gas station's surveillance cameras to find out who Swasey was arguing with to determine whether it was some kind of road rage or in this case, gas pump rage that precipitated the shooting.
And while the security tapes are being reviewed, no one has been detained.
