He former carabinero Claudio Crespoknown for being the police officer accused of blinding Gustavo Gatica during the social outbreak of 2019, He was acquitted this Tuesday in another case, linked to the Day of the Young Fighter of 2018 in Huechuraba.
The North Central Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office had requested sentences that totaled 5 years and 300 days of imprisonment for the completed crimes of illegitimate pressures resulting in serious injuries, illegal detention and obstruction of investigation.
According to the accusation, Crespo, who at that time had the rank of major, went to the vicinity of the Municipality of Huechuraba, where disorders were recorded with barricades and the throwing of blunt objects. In that framework, shot a protester with the anti-riot shotgun, in circumstances that “neither the tactical device, nor its occupants, nor other police devices, nor members of the civilian population were in imminent risk”.
The victim, identified as Ettien Gutiérrez, “as he began to leave the place, specifically on República de Panamá Street with Camino El Bosque, along with a third party, observed a Carabineros skunk-type vehicle crossed diagonally on the road, so he decided “run past the right side of the aforementioned mobile.”
But “when he reached the front third of it, he heard a shot, and “receives on his face, mouth and neck the impact of 11 of the 12 pellets or pellets contained in the cartridge used by a riot shotgun.”stated the Public Ministry.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Crespo was the only one of the police officers in the gas launch vehicle who had received that weapon for the public order control procedure.
Furthermore, the prosecution stated that in the arrest report of the protesters, Crespo indicated that he had fired shots to repel an attempt to force entry into the municipality, “which turned out to be false.”
However the Second Criminal Oral Trial Court of Santiago issued an acquittal verdictin divided judgment.
The day before, the now retired lieutenant colonel stated in the program “Sin Filtros” that at the time the Prosecutor’s Office had decided “not to persevere” in that case, after a year of investigation, but during the proceedings for Gustavo Gatica’s injuries In 2019 he “revived this investigation” from 2018, according to Emol.
For him Gatica casewhich continues its course in criminal justice, the Prosecutor’s Office requests a sentence of 12 years in prison against Crespo.
