The shooting of a street juggler sparked protests over alleged police violence in southern Chile, where several buildings were set on fire and an officer detained for questioning.
SANTIAGO, Chile – The shooting of a street juggler has sparked protests over suspected police violence in southern Chile, with several buildings set on fire and an officer detained for questioning on Saturday.
Local news media reported that about ten buildings in the southern tourist town of Panguipulli were set on fire after the shooting on Friday, and authorities reported other protests in Santiago, the capital.
According to police, 27-year-old Francisco Martínez Romero opposed the police during a routine identity check.
In a video widely circulated on social media, an officer can be seen shooting at the feet of the man, who is wearing two blunt machete knives and sometimes waving what is used in his actions. After a moment, he jumped out and hurried to the officer. Several shots were fired and the man collapsed in the street.
A local judge ordered that the officer, who was not identified, be detained for two days.
Some people in the country have angered the video, which has been repeatedly controversial over the past few years over allegations of police brutality against protesters. The National Human Rights Institute says more than 450 people sustained eye damage due to alleged non-lethal projectiles fired by police during street protests that erupted in 2019.