A drunken brawl at a party ended in tragedy Thursday, when police shot and killed four youths at the scene.
Residents of Nueva Venecia, a town in Magdalena in north Colombia, were enjoying pre-carnival celebrations when the incident occurred at about midnight. The argument is alleged to have broken out over a bottle of rum, reports El Tiempo.
There were five police officers present at the time and one of them intervened by firing several shots, killing three of the youths on the dance floor. A fourth youth was wounded but later died in hospital in Barranquilla. All the youths were between 18 and 22 years old.
“The police officer shot with a rifle,” said Sitionuevo Councilman Jose Donado. “All were shot in the chest, while one was also shot in the forehead and another in the throat,” he continued.
Caracol Radio reports that the officer was intoxicated when he used his weapon to quell the fight.
Following the incident, the villagers attacked the police canoes with clubs. The officer who committed the crime allegedly hid all night in the station before surrendering to his superiors Friday morning.
Villagers were also unhappy that it took two hours by canoe before the bodies arrived at the local Sitionuevo hospital.
The Magdalena police commander, Colonel Cesar Granados, has gone to the town and opened investigations.
