Odilon Larios Nava. – The men attacked early Saturday morning in the Reforma Sur neighborhood by municipal police officers are known to be members of an alleged criminal gang known as Los Pitines (according to police and citizen sources). Some of them have criminal records.
Although the foregoing apparently has nothing to do with having been attacked, since they were not committing any overt crime at the time the incident occurred and according to the information available up to the time of closing this briefing: none of the men who were shot by policemen were armed.
After this newspaper reported what happened early Saturday morning at Prolongación Reforma e 13 Sur, in the Reforma Sur neighborhood, where Puebla police fired on citizens, killing one man and wounding four others. Citizens and the police communicated that those attacked were people with criminal records, presumably part of a criminal gang known as Los Pitines.
The sources requested the publication of this information in order to have a greater contextualization of the unfortunate events that took place on Saturday morning in that place. Neighbors and police officers have indicated that criminal acts have been recorded on South 13th Street in recent years, and members of the aforementioned gang often hide out there. Some of the sources also indicated that drug dealings were detected on that street (without specifying the exact address).
From the information provided to this newspaper, it is known that Guillermo, alias El Nene, 42, now deceased, had a criminal record for trespassing (2004 and 2019), burglary (2004), and some referrals to the qualification Judge for nuisance to public order and the consumption of prohibited substances on public roads.
In the case of Mariano (Guillermo’s brother), 38 years old, torn between life and death at the Traumatology and Orthopedics Hospital of the Health Sector, the sources indicate that he has precedents for: “robbery to passer-by (2002); robbery in business (2005); robbery inside a vehicle (2010)”. And he was tried in 2020 for the crime of robbery, as in 2012; while also in 2013 he was tried for crimes against the family.
Martín, 46, the other brother of the previous two, according to police reports, has only administrative offenses reported. And even Agustín, the last injured, a resident of South 13th Street, has only referrals to the authorities for administrative offenses.
It should be noted that despite these people having a criminal record, this does not give the police the right to open fire on them, as the laws clearly state that the police cannot use “lethal force” unless they are authorized to do so. and risk your life or someone else’s. In the Reforma Sur case, sources consulted indicated that at least one police officer apparently acted irresponsibly by firing his weapon, because the men they were pursuing were fleeing and were not armed.
LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE USE OF DEATH FORCE BY THE POLICE
In accordance with the Law protecting Human Rights and regulating the legitimate use of force by members of the Puebla State Police Institutions: “The police member may only use a firearm in the case of legitimate self-defense or that of third parties, due to imminent danger of death or serious injury, or in order to avoid the commission of a particularly serious crime involving a serious danger to life.
“The use of force by police elements shall be gradual, taking into account the levels of use of force and in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, rationality, necessity, proportionality, coherence, expediency, efficiency, professionalism and honesty. , in the terms established by art. this Law”.
For the purposes of the use of lethal force, “legitimate defense” means: “Self-defense is considered, in the case of the use of firearms, when there is an actual, actual or imminent assault which endangers life o the property physical integrity; this involves a serious prejudice, as well as rationality and proportionality in the means used, for the defense of life and physical integrity.
Outside of these cases, self-defense will not be considered justified and the police element will receive the relevant criminal and administrative sanctions.
