The National Police announced the suspending of two police agents accused of beating up 19-year old Juan Rosario Méndez in Villas Agricolas, in Santo Domingo province. The Police invited the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case. The announcement came after the video of the beating circulated on social media. The Police called the action by the police agents “unacceptable.”
The Police says Sergeant José Luis Paulino and Private Kenny Feliz Paniagua were suspended from duty and are being investigated by the police internal control agencies and are at the disposal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, when required.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday on Máximo Gómez Avenue corner of San Juan de la Maguana street in northern santo Domingo.
In a press release, Major General Eduardo Alberto Then, director of the National Police, says that police officers who act contrary to the Constitution and human rights “cannot be in the ranks of the institution.”
“Policemen like those who incur in excessive use of force cannot be part of the National Police,” warned Major General Alberto Then.
The Police spokesman, Diego Pesqueira gave guarantees to Juan Alberto Rosario and his son, the victim Rosario Mendez, that the agents will answer to the corresponding entities for the action that is contrary to institutional guides. The father and son were received at the Police headquarters.
Meanwhile, the call for the Police director, Major Then, to be available for questioning continues. So far, his superior Interior & Police Minister Jesus Vasquez and the newly-appointed Police Commissioner Jose de Vila have been filling in for the Police director and telling about the government police reform plans. Then has been referring the press to the Police spokesman, Diego Pesqueira.
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National Police
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El Caribe
El Caribe
19 May 2022