DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A scathing investigation by the Public Ministry (prosecutor’s office of the Attorney General Office – PGR) has dismantled the initial version provided by the National Police (PN) regarding the fatal shooting of five men in La Barranquita, Santiago, with prosecutors now alleging the incident was a premeditated extrajudicial execution.

The investigation was carried out after the family of one of the deceased, a barber, pressured and caused indignation in Santiago that led to the calling that the PGR carry out a thorough investigation. Investigations into Police shootouts in the DR are the exception, not the rule, given that the population in general has favored the extrajudicial executions, especially in the case of persons known to have committed several crimes who have found loopholes to evade justice.

The PN had initially claimed the deaths occurred during a fierce...