A commissioner of the Buenos Aires Police shot dead a criminal who attempted to rob him in La Matanza, Buenos Aires Province. The incident took place in the Laferrere neighborhood, where the officer, dressed in civilian clothes, was approached by two thieves at Martínez and Martín Zapata. The assailants threatened the commissioner with a firearm while he was stopping his gray Renault Logan vehicle. In response to the dangerous situation, the police officer identified himself and shot the closest thief, seriously wounding him. The accomplice managed to escape the scene, while the injured criminal, identified as Gabriel Catriel Villalba, 19 years old, died during his transfer to the Néstor Kirchner Hospital.
After the confrontation, neighbors attacked the commissioner with stones, but he managed to escape with minor injuries. The Homicide Prosecutor's Office of La Matanza is in charge of the investigation of the case, and a Bersa Thunder series 20824 pistol was found in the possession of the deceased criminal at the scene. The prosecutor's office ordered that the forensic investigation be carried out by the Federal Police, exempting the commissioner from detention as his actions were deemed legitimate defense. Nevertheless, the officer surrendered his service weapon for the investigations.
