Police commissioner kills sergeant with accidental shot during operation in Chascomús
A sergeant from the Buenos Aires Police force died after being shot in the chest by a police commissioner during an operation in Chascomús. The commissioner was charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Sergeant dies from accidental shot by commissioner in Chascomús
A police operation to dismantle a gang accused of committing robberies ended with an officer dead in Chascomús, province of Buenos Aires. According to tn.com.ar, sergeant Federico Colarusso, from the Lezama Road Safety Detachment, died after being shot in the chest by the weapon of a commissioner who was participating in the procedure.
The incident occurred last Friday, after 8 p.m., when the four suspects had already been overpowered and were lying on the ground in handcuffs.
The operation and arrest of suspects
The officers had travelled to the Lomas Altas neighbourhood, in the western area near the Chascomús lagoon, as part of an investigation into crimes committed in Alejandro Korn, San Vicente district. The investigators had located a property that the suspects had rented approximately two weeks earlier, according to Clarín. They had also identified a vehicle with an arrest warrant linked to an armed robbery.
The police set up a surveillance operation in front of the property and waited for the suspects to emerge before intervening. When they attempted to arrest them, the men tried to flee by running and an exchange of gunfire ensued. The four were eventually overpowered and placed in police custody.
The fatal shot
When the procedure appeared to be concluded, the officers were waiting for instructions from the prosecution whilst the detainees remained on the ground in handcuffs. At that moment, an unexpected detonation was heard. According to the testimonies gathered, the weapon being handled by the interim police commissioner of Chascomús discharged and the projectile impacted directly in Colarusso's chest.
The investigators are seeking to determine the exact circumstances of the shot and establish whether there was negligent handling of the service weapon.
Charges and status of the case
The commissioner involved was placed on leave and charged with involuntary manslaughter, although his detention has not been ordered to date.
The Forensic Police had planned to carry out the autopsy on Saturday in Lomas de Zamora. The result will be decisive in advancing the investigation and precisely reconstructing how an operation that concluded with four arrests resulted in the death of one of the officers involved.
Who was Federico Colarusso
Colarusso had been born in General Belgrano and lived in Ranchos, a locality located less than 30 kilometres from Chascomús. He served at the Road Safety Police Detachment in Lezama.
His death caused shock among his colleagues and in the localities where he had lived his life. The Security and Civil Defence Secretary of Lezama issued a statement to bid him farewell. "We accompany his family members, friends and fellow officers during this difficult time, offering our most sincere condolences and our respect in the face of such an irreparable loss," they stated.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires