8 killed in shootout and pursuit after thwarted kidnapping

Lucio R. for Borderland Beat material from Reforma and Tabasco Hoy -photos from social media 

Villahermosa, Tabasco - on Friday an attempted kidnapping, resulting in a chase, ended with  eight dead, including three policemen.

According to the version of the Ministry of Public Security of the State, two of the alleged kidnappers, one male and one female, were arrested but died “while being taken for medical care”.

However, in photos released on social networks the two detainees are seen in the bed of a police pickup, alive and in the case of the woman, appears to be conscious and without bullet impacts.

In other images taken by press photographer, the bodies of the two detainees are seen  at the edge of a river, in an area about 15 kilometers from where the arrest occurred, on a path of Ranchería Plátano and  Cacao Section 2.

A woman is seen with a shot in the left temple and the man with a shot in the arm that pierced the ribs.

The attempted kidnapping  in the Municipal colony left a toll of 5 criminals killed and three policemen dead. 

The incident took place at about 11:00 pm yesterday, when a group of armed men traveling aboard a gray Toyota, attempted to kidnap  a businessman at a car wash on Calle Mariano Arista.

The kidnapping was thwarted by Miguel Angel Lopez Garcia of the Highway State Police motor patrol, when he realized the information sent out on radio matched that vehicle in his sight.  He began pursuit, the suspects began firing and killed two motorcycle police.  

The kidnappers abandoned their vehicle and boarded a Red Jetta.

Warning images on next page are graphic

Gunfire continued until the Jetta driver lost control and crashed into a tree. 

According to the official version;  it began around 11 am, when a group of criminals tried to kidnap a man.

Pursuit and shootouts began by police,  that left three policemen, including a ministerial (SSP) dead and two more wounded.

In the press conference,  no questions were allowed, the head of the SSP, Sergio Ricardo Martinez Luis, confirmed that the death toll from the clashes, was three policemen and five "criminals".

He said three of the alleged kidnappers, died on impact when their car crashed while fleeing police, in which fleeing police on  Villahermosa Road.

However, in the photos  the bodies of three people reflect  bullet wounds, two of them are in the head.

"Upon arrival of Police, they realized that there were three bodies vital signs and two others  who were observed having serious injuries.”

"Faced with this emergency, they attempted transferring (the wounded) to the nearest hospital to provide  health care and noting that vehicular traffic was blocked, they elected to use an alternative pathway that leads from the Ranchería Plátano and  Cacao Section 2.

"When realizing the decline of the detainees condition, the unit stopped, and removed the suspects, “to render first aid”,  which failed and the detainees perished from injuries sustained in the crash.” 

Governor Arturo Nunez praised the performance of the police in hot pursuit of the assailants, whom he said, died as the result of "walking the wrong path."

The intended kidnapping victim survived unharmed.

Families weigh in:

Relatives of three of the five people who died after a chase with state police demanded justice. Of the

deceased, three were brothers, according to their aunt Domitilla Marin Almeida, (right) and undeserving being gunned down.

She said, that in the official version of events, her family members perished because of shock from the vehicle crash.  "I demand justice my family has suffered from discrimination. They did not die by accident, but were killed by   the coup de grace. “Referring to the fact 4 of the 5 suspects had a gunshot to the head.

“They were not animals to be gunned down like that.  Everyone is supposed to have rights.”

She stated the government is withholding the bodies from the family.

These were the two suspects in the truck bed