Riot at Microcentre police station: officer taken hostage by detainees in Buenos Aires
A fight between detainees at Comisaría Vecinal 1D resulted in an officer being taken hostage. The prisoners refused to be transferred to Marcos Paz prison.
Hostage in the custody cells at Lavalle 451: prisoners film the riot with a mobile phone
A fight between detainees at Comisaría Vecinal 1D of the Buenos Aires City Police resulted on Thursday in an officer being taken hostage inside the custody cell on the first floor, according to information from the Buenos Aires Ministry of Security. Clarin.com reported that the incidents began around 13:30 and escalated into episodes of violence for reasons that authorities have not yet clarified.
The officer was locked in the custody cell with the prisoners, who caused injuries and damage to the police facility located at Lavalle 451, between San Martín and Reconquista, in the San Nicolás neighbourhood. The prisoners themselves filmed themselves with a mobile telephone, with the uniformed officer sitting on one of the bunks beside them, whilst they watched television coverage of the operation.
"Personnel being held": the audio that revealed the situation
Official spokespersons avoided openly confirming whether there was a hostage, but an audio released by A24 channel exposed internal communications in which the radio operator warned that the prisoners were keeping "personnel held" on the first floor of the building. The communication ended with an order for "radio silence", which prevented official information from being released until after 15:30.
Videos leaked in WhatsApp groups and on social networks showed the detainees in a joking tone in front of a news screen, recording coverage of their own uprising. In one of those clips, a request could be heard to "get the prosecutor down", referring to the Buenos Aires Public Ministry official who was supposed to negotiate with them.
Emergency operation in the heart of the Microcentre
Following the outbreak of the incidents, a SAME emergency medical team entered the building to attend to the injured. Shortly after, a city fire truck arrived and a police brigade also entered the police station. The large barred gate remained closed and guarded by officers, whilst the Ministry of Security clarified that "there is no danger of escapes" from the police station, located eight blocks from the Casa Rosada.
The deployment of ambulances, fire engines and police teams altered the usual landscape of the area, one of the busiest zones in the city for residents, workers and tourists. Relatives of the detainees gathered on the pavement awaiting updates.
Refusal to be transferred to Marcos Paz prison
According to sources consulted by Clarin.com, the prisoners refused to be transferred to the new Marcos Paz prison, a destination to which a large number of inmates who had been housed in Villa Devoto prison had already been taken. This resistance appears to have been the underlying cause of the conflict that triggered the fight and the subsequent taking of the officer.
The investigation was put in the charge of Marco Juliano Zunino, assistant prosecutor of the Flagrancy Unit (UFLA) East of the Buenos Aires Public Prosecutor's Office.
Comisaría Vecinal 1D, which also functions as a climate refuge during summer heat waves, operates in the same building as Alcaidía 1, on the semi-pedestrianised Lavalle street, surrounded by banks, shops, restaurants and radio stations.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires