Police officer shot in the head during road unblocking operation in San Julián, Santa Cruz
Two police officers were wounded by gunfire in San Julián while unblocking the Santa Cruz-Beni highway. Police withdrew in the face of gunfire from the blockaders.
Two uniformed officers shot in San Julián during road unblocking operation
According to correodelsur.com, two police officers were wounded by bullet impacts on Saturday in the municipality of San Julián, department of Santa Cruz, during confrontations with blockaders who are preventing passage on the route between Santa Cruz and Beni.
The violence occurred when joint forces of the Police and Army intervened to reopen that highway and guarantee food supplies to the department of La Paz.
The departmental police commander, David Gómez, confirmed that the blockaders used firearms against the officers. A police officer from the Tactical Police Operations Unit (UTOP) received "a gunshot wound from a firearm that struck at head height" and was evacuated to the city of Santa Cruz, according to details provided by Gómez. The second uniformed officer suffered a bullet wound to the right thigh.
"These are wounds produced by projectiles from firearms that have been fired from the front of the crowd where these residents were located," the police chief emphasised.
Given the risk posed by the use of weapons by the blockaders, the Police decided to withdraw from the area, although they remain present and are evaluating whether to resume the operation to open a humanitarian corridor on that route.
Source: Google News BO — La Paz