Municipal Police and Soldiers Clash; Two Soldiers Dead

Mazatlan, Sinaloa—Dozens of gunshot wounds triggered the deaths of two Mexican Army soldiers after a pursuit and a shootout by Municipal Police in different avenues in the city.

It was around 01:40 hours on Monday when members of the Municipal Police observed a gray Dodge Caravan with license plates VND 1254 at the intersection of the avenue Clouthier and Colosio.

According to information by the Municipal Police, they ordered the van to stop, which the occupants in the van ignored, which then triggered a pursuit and ended in a shootout that started by the avenue Robles Quinteros in the colony Ramón F Iturbe and ended in the colony 12 de Mayo at the crossroads of Gabriel Leyva and Obrero Mundialista Street.

Another story says that when a municipal patrol arrived at the site, the soldiers shot at them and didn’t identify themselves.  The police then pursued them by the avenue Munich.  Next by the Bypass Colosio Murrieta to then continue along the underpass of Café El Marino and then continued along the avenue Gabriel Leyva.

At the height of the street Obrero Mundialista, located in the colony 12 de Mayo, the soldiers were shot at and then crashed head-on against a liquor store where their journey ended.  The patrol car received various gunshots at the drivers windshield.  There were no police casualties.

At the scene lay two men dead inside the van.  The two men were identified as Mario Aquino Ramírez, a Lieutenant, and Nínive Fermín Ramírez, a corporal, both residing in the 8^th Infantry Battalion.  The deceased apparently "picked up" a young woman by the street Robles Quintero.

At the site where the soldiers died, the commander of the Third Military Region—Moises Melo García and the Municipal Public Security Secretary—Jesús Alejandro García Medrano arrived.  Jesús Alejandro García Medrano practically “had” to give up the three municipal police officers who are in calidad de presentados (they are detained by the authorities but are pending legal status, they are not yet known as being the victim, defendant, or witness).  Personnel of the Ministry of Public Security in the south and the Public Ministry agent specializing in intentional homicides arrived at the site of the slaughter and picked up the evidence found, which were then delivered to start the investigations.

At the scene, surveyors picked up more than 130 shell casings, which would serve as evidence and help in finding who was responsible.

Sources :Narco Noticias Blogspot By: Texcoco De Mora 

Debate By: Alberto Aguilar

 Update

The authorities reported that the case has been taken by the Attorney General of the State to determine responsibilities from both parties.

After the fact, there have been convoys of 6 municipal police patrols being spotted.  It is presumed that it is part of an operation initiated by the arrival of Holy Week (Semana Santa).

Renato Ocampo Alcantar

Following the news, the city clerk , Renato Ocampo Alcantar, assured that the police acted under the law and in response to a warning that was given by the emergency phone line “066”.

Ocampo Alcantar assured that the police ordered the soldiers to stop and then the soldiers repelled with an attack and therefore they need not be arrested.

“The police officers responded to a response” said Alcantar

The city clerk said that they will carry out an investigation and emphasized that there is a close relation with the Ministry of Defense (SEDENA).

The official could not delve into further details about the situation because they don’t know all the facts about how the confrontation happened.

Source: Debate By: Míriam Ramírez