Relatives carry Miguel Valenzuela's coffin to police station to demand justice over death in police custody
Family members and residents of Hatillo, San Cristóbal, transported Miguel Valenzuela's coffin to the police station where he was detained to demand punishment following the death of the 40-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of fraud in the sale of lottery tickets.
Relatives carry Miguel Valenzuela's coffin to police station to demand justice over death in police custody
Angered by the death of a man while in custody at a police station, relatives and neighbours of the Hatillo locality decided to transport the coffin to the very gates of the barracks where he was held, in an action intended to denounce what they characterise as excessive use of force by officers, according to a report issued by Univision.
The deceased was identified as Miguel Valenzuela, 40 years old. He was arrested for allegedly committing irregularities in the digital marketing of lottery tickets. His relatives claimed that at the time of his detention, the man was in good health, and therefore attribute his death to blows and mistreatment suffered during the period he spent under police watch.
A video that was released shows Valenzuela in critical condition six days after he was arrested. In the images he is seen spitting blood from his mouth. According to witnesses, the authorities took him to a clinic, but he repeatedly asked to be removed because he felt gravely ill; however, family members point out that no one carried out the necessary procedures for him to receive timely care at a medical facility.
The public order institution announced that it has opened an internal investigation to clarify the facts. A spokesperson for the uniformed force acknowledged that this is an extremely regrettable incident and cautioned that it is not possible to prejudge what happened until medical examiners determine the exact causes of death. He added that at this moment, the fundamental thing is to establish with precision what caused the death.
The citizens assembled assured that they would maintain their demands until those identified as responsible are imprisoned. The incident once again calls into question the conduct of the country's police forces, which in recent weeks have faced scrutiny over abusive actions that are reported to have caused the death of several people.
Source: Google News DO — Crime