Policeman taken hostage after prison brawl at Buenos Aires custody facility
Ten detainees clashed at Custody Facility 1 in Buenos Aires and held a police officer inside a cell. The incident mobilised special forces, firefighters and emergency medical services.
Hostage at Custody Facility 1: ten prisoners held a policeman in downtown Buenos Aires
A violent confrontation between ten detainees at Custody Facility 1 in Buenos Aires ended with a police officer held inside a cell, according to eldiarionuevodia.com.ar. The incident occurred on Thursday, 22 October at the facility located on Lavalle Street at number 400, in downtown Buenos Aires.
The police officer entered the cell in an attempt to separate those involved in the brawl and found himself surrounded by the detainees. Videos filmed inside the facility circulated on social media and showed the officer among the detainees; in one of the recordings, the prisoners called for the presence of a prosecutor.
The incident mobilised a large security operation. Participants included the Special Operations Division of the Buenos Aires City Police, firefighting personnel and ambulances from the Emergency Medical Attention System (SAME), as well as a negotiator and staff specialised in conflict resolution.
Initial official reports indicated there was no risk of escape, although the situation remained under police intervention during the first hours. Later, press reports indicated that SAME entered the facility to assess injured people. At the time of filing, the health status of the police officer or the concrete outcome of the hostage-taking had not been officially confirmed.
The incident reignites debate over detention conditions at police facilities in Buenos Aires and the processes for transferring detainees to penitentiary establishments. Buenos Aires authorities are planning to transfer detainees to the new Marcos Paz complex, although available information does not allow establishment of whether the confrontation was linked to a protest over those transfers.
The judicial investigation will need to determine the precise circumstances of the event and any potential responsibilities of those involved.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires