Saturday 8 May 2021

Truck carrying police officers dressed as civilians started shooting randomly

Source: https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/paro-nacional-policia-admite-que-camion-con-hombres-vestidos-de-civil-es-suyo/?outputType=amp


National Strike: Police admits truck filled with officers without uniform and shooting was theirs


Through videos that circulate on social networks, citizens denounced that they were attacked with a firearm by plainclothes police officers who were mobilizing in a truck, in the west of Cali. The Police confirmed that those who mobilized the vehicle did belong to the institution, but that they were the victims of attacks by citizens.



Police confirmed that the truck that was stopped by protesters and did transport policemen without uniform. / EL ESPECTADOR


There are several videos that circulate through social networks in which citizens denounce the alleged irregular behavior of police officers. The events occurred in the west of Cali, near the monument to the sea, in the area known as El Ancla, one of the points that the protesters have taken to install a block in the form of protest, within the framework of the National Strike. The Police confirmed that the truck and the men who were mobilizing there belonged to the institution, but their version of events is completely different from the one recorded in the citizens' videos.

The video also shows that several people, apparently protesters, are heading towards the vehicle and, also, the presence of the military can be evidenced in the place. In another record, the report is similar. A citizen shows the same truck pointing out that the vehicle was full of plainclothes policemen who attacked them. "There is a van full of policemen who were dressed in civilian clothes (...) it's 2:49 on May 6, they came, the PM (Military Police) backed us, if it isn't for the PM they'll kill us here," he says. this person while showing protesters and military walking through the streets.

In another video, a man in a white shirt has a black bag in his hand from which he takes out a distinctive jacket of the National Police identified with the number 613982. "He took that out of this car and look at the beauty that we are," announces this person while showing the jacket and then shows the plate that identifies the truck (EAX004) in which the policemen were transported.

But, apparently, it was not the only thing that the protesters found inside the vehicle. In another video, the same man in a white T-shirt is seen searching a small black kangaroo-type bag, which, apparently, was inside the truck. Wearing gloves, the citizen took handcuffs, a pencil, keys and personal hygiene items from his bag. "All that has to have fingerprints," said one of the people who recorded this episode.

To this, another video is added that shows the rear of the van where there is a loose car plate, number ICG080 (additional to the one installed on the vehicle); papers from the company Inducon, which is dedicated to making business endowments and personal protective clothing; a security camera and what appears to be ropes.

“2:50 in the afternoon, a truck recovered from the Police. We have changed plates, we have elements of bulletproof vests, security cameras. The truck has blood in it. This is the government that is sending people to kill, ”says the person who recorded the video. Then another citizen shows a list that, according to him, has "the name of the people who wanted to kill us this day."

In that same video, a policeman appears, identified, according to the uniform, as Major Juan Guerrero to whom one of the complainants tells “the agents of the National Police to make an attack on us because they got off they went to shoot us because we were giving way to the people (…) suddenly you are aware or you are not aware, I ask you the favor that one of those wretches come and take that truck because otherwise we are going to burn it ”.

The protesters explain to the officer that there are two wounded colleagues who are being treated at the scene by medical personnel. The policeman asks who shot those in the truck and the citizens respond: "No one, there are no weapons here, that's a lie, the Army is a witness (...) we have a peaceful march, we have a cultural event, we have the indigenous minga and they come shooting at us, it is not fair."

El Espectadorspoke with one of the residents of the area who assured that the truck in which the policemen were mobilizing wanted to pass over the people who were defending the blockade, which is located a few meters from the place. “It seems to me that it is wrong that they go overboard and violate their rights to protest. I would ask the authorities to define the reality of the events as soon as possible and that the Prosecutor's Office determine what happened. But in this I ask the national and local government that we must calm the spirits and not put gasoline on the candle, it is about handling this with responsibility and peace is what we all want, "he said.

The resident of this sector added that this is the opportunity for the sectors to reach an agreement and for the president, Iván Duque, to arrive in Cali as soon as possible and listen to the people, he also explained the reason for the block at this point in time. the city. “This is the road that connects us with the Pacific and that was the importance of the capture. Cali represents the Colombian Pacific, Cali is the access point for all the Pacific people who are victims of violence and displaced. This is the opportunity for the authorities to come and exercise better leadership, ”he said.

What do the police say?

The Commander of the Metropolitan Police of Cali, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, confirmed that his men did go to the sector because, according to what he said, for several days the community has reported systematic extortion, intimidation with firearms and illegal economic demands on property owners. of vehicles and pedestrians passing through the place. His version is almost the opposite of that of the citizens who made the videos.

“Before carrying out the procedure, uniformed men arrive at the site and get out of the vehicle at the moment in which shots are registered from a crowd. Situation that leaves two police officers injured, one in the chest and one in the hand. We must specify that the people in this place attack our uniformed men who, in order to safeguard their integrity, leave the place avoiding the use of firearms due to the number of people who showed up at the place ”, said the officer.

The commander acknowledged that citizens filmed videos "that will be provided to the competent authority in order to initiate the necessary investigations of the case." The officer did not confirm that the Army had fired, as he pointed out that this is part of the investigation, but reiterated that two of his men were wounded with firearms. Likewise, it confirmed that the plainclothes policemen were equipped with their endowment weapons "for a police procedure," however, it did not specify the procedure that the policemen would carry out.

Rodríguez insisted that “the attention was a case of the Police, no type of attack is being made against the protest or demonstration. Proof of the facts is that the policemen are retiring and we have two injured policemen. We are talking about judicial police personnel, these personnel wear civilian clothes, their jacket is placed on them or they are put on to formalize the procedure. They were getting out of the vehicle when this situation arose ”.

 

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