Police officer shot in González Catán: his son speaks about his health condition and defends self-defence
A Buenos Aires Province police officer was wounded by gunfire during an attempted robbery in González Catán, La Matanza. His son gave testimony and demanded justice.
Armed confrontation in La Matanza leaves police officer shot
According to elbonaerense.news, the son of a Buenos Aires Province Police officer broke his silence on Tuesday, 29 September following the violent confrontation that left his father shot in González Catán, in the municipality of La Matanza. In statements to local media, the young man described the moments of tension experienced by his family during the attempted robbery and defended the officer's reaction.
"My dad acted as he should have in the face of the threat. It was his life or theirs; they left him no other choice," the young man said to the media, visibly distressed.
The incident
The Buenos Aires police officer was intercepted by armed criminals whilst driving through the González Catán area. Upon identifying himself as a member of the security force, an exchange of gunfire ensued that resulted in the officer being wounded and the assailants fleeing.
The victim was urgently transported to a healthcare facility in the area, where he received medical attention to stabilise his injuries. Officers from the González Catán Police Station and the La Matanza DDI (District Detective Unit) mounted a security operation in the surrounding area to locate the attackers.
The investigation
The case was placed in the hands of the Functional Investigation Unit (UFI) on duty at the La Matanza Judicial Department, which specialises in crimes against property and homicides. Investigators are analysing images from public and private security cameras in the neighbourhood to identify the vehicle or escape route used by the suspects. Ballistic reports are also awaited.
Family demands and neighbourhood reaction
The family circle of the wounded officer demanded justice and backed the officer's actions in response to the armed attack. Residents of González Catán expressed their outrage at the incident and called for demonstrations demanding greater police presence, preventive patrols, and concrete measures against crime in the district.
Context in La Matanza
The incident revives debate about security in the Buenos Aires conurbation and the use of police force in Argentina. González Catán and other localities in the La Matanza municipality have recorded recent incidents of violent robberies targeting members of security forces, aimed at stealing their service weapons or personal vehicles.
Armed confrontations between criminals and off-duty police officers are, according to elbonaerense.news, increasingly frequent in Greater Buenos Aires. The case renews political discussions between provincial and municipal executives regarding investment in equipment, surveillance cameras, and deployment of federal forces in the most critical points in the west of the conurbation.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires