Let me be blunt here:
The DR's Police commit many acts of injustice if we take under consideration the rights of those criminals that are pursuit and ultimately netted.
Now the reality:
Back in the days shooting a Police officer was the same as digging your own final resting place. Only the worst of the worst would dare do such things. It only took a Police officer to show up in the vicinity of the crime to have the crooks hands up and lined up for arrest. Now even generals are targeted by the lowest common denominator crooks.
If you think being a policeman in the DR is the same as other countries, think again.
Most Police officers in the DR don't have bullet resistance protection. They operate under gunned compared to the armed to the teeth crooks. Many get pay peanuts for putting their lives at risk day in, day out.
If you're a cop in the DR and you got a hold of the same born to be criminals that would not shy away to aim their guns at you, you wouldn’t spare a second to do the same thing they do.
The actions the colonel took, where in fact common given the way they try to recuperate stolen money where no violence was used to take it.
The person that took the money was in fact riding along with the colonel to make sure they got the correct residence and person holding the cash.
The actions of the woman were not the normal way, since she was saving a huge amount of cash; which she knew the guy didn't have anything to show for its origin...
The actions of those trying to act as vigilantes were the direct result of the people that lost their lives that day. They shouldn't be taking the job of police or judges to fire on somebody. The Colonel was shot in the head at close range without a chance to defend himself. If I was the backup I would have shot every single person on sight, given that who could assure the surviving officers where the next bullet was going to come from?
The actions that the witnesses provide point to that fact: The officers ordered those they came in direct contact with to hit the ground and failure to do so pose a grave threat to their safety. When you got a situation where somebody is shot having identified themselves as police, then the situation becomes critical...
If indeed it was revenge as provided by the witnesses, then the old lady would have been the first target of the remaining officers...
About the other 3 that got shot and later shot again, good work! These guys were the same ones killing without a problem when trying to rob people in plain daylight.
If they put them in jail, they just will commit even bigger crimes when let out. Think that as time passed while they're incarcerated, things became even more expensive and therefore they would need to graduate to bigger crimes in order to pay for their way of life...
A thieve will kill given the chance if he happens to be about to get caught. Treat thieves as a murderer not a "petty criminal".
The smart criminal gives himself up via the church in the DR and keep a super low profile for a long time after release from jail. Those that continue their criminal ways eventually will go six feet under. Those who get a job and work for their food and stuff keep a foot away from the hole...
I feel more and only sorry for the Colonel who lost his life, while serving his fellow Dominicans with honor...