February 7, 2021
SAO PAULO, Brazil
Police cannot kill someone for resisting an ID check, Human Rights Watch said Sunday, in the wake of the killing of a young performer by Chilean police.
“A thorough and rapid investigation into these serious events is urgently needed,” said the group’s Americas director, Jose Miguel Vivanco. “Chile must urgently move forward with a serious and rigorous reform of the Carabineros.”
He demanded “a serious investigation” to “clarify whether the use of force was necessary and proportionate in this case.”
A video clip widely circulated on social media shows an officer shooting at Francisco Martínez Romero’s feet. The 27-year-old is seen carrying and sometimes waving machetes used in his performances in Panguipulli.