The 26th Court of Control of Caracas decreed deprivation of liberty for four officials of the Municipal Police of Baruta (Miranda), identified as Rafael Eduardo Salcedo Rosendo (33), Jeison Eduardo Hernández Guzmán (32), Junior Alfonso Nieto Gil (25) and Ángel Manuel Tovar Perozo (24), for allegedly demanding $3,000 from a man to avoid being prosecuted, the Public Ministry reported.
Such a situation occurred on January 28 in the San Rafael de Baruta sector. In the afternoon of the aforementioned day, Chief Officer Hernández Guzmán along with First Officers Salcedo Rosendo, Nieto Gil and Tovar Perozo were carrying out a procedure when they apprehended a man involved in a robbery. The officers demanded the aforementioned amount to let him go. However, the victim could only give them 500 US dollars, so the police simulated an escape, in which the chief officer fired two shots into the air.
After what happened, the man went to the Police Deviations Investigation office of said security body to notify the irregularity, which is why the four officers were arrested.
The Prosecutor’s Office charged Salcedo Rosendo, Nieto Gil and Tovar Perozo with the crimes of delay or intentional omission of functions in the aggravated modality, favoring evasion, gathering and improper use of an organic weapon. While Hernández Guzmán was charged with the aforementioned criminal offenses and discharge of a firearm in a residential area.
