Cozumel, Q.R. — Two Cozumel police officers have been arrested by state authorities for abuse of authority. Sebastián “N” and Cristian de Jesús “N”, both municipal officers on the island, were arrested in relation to the shooting death of a Cozumel man June 15.
According to the State Attorney General (FGE), both officers are facing charges for abuse of authority. One of the officers the FGE has identified as Cristian de Jesús “N”, is also facing charges of qualified homicide.
Both municipal police officers were arrested on warrants issued after an island resident was shot and killed. Officers were at the man’s home in response to a request by a fast food delivery man who requested police help after the man refused to pay for his takeout order.
The responding officers were reportedly met by gunfire being shot by the man from inside his home. Police repelled the shots. One of the responding officers fired at the man, hitting him in the leg. He died in hospital from blood loss.
In a statement, the FGE reported that “the incidents under investigation occurred on June 15 of this year, when the victim, who was accompanied by his two children, ordered food delivery, but after delivery, he refused to pay the delivery man, who requested the intervention of the Municipal Citizen Security Secretariat.
“Officers Sebastián “N” and Cristian de Jesús “N” responded to the scene, located at 65th Avenue and 25th South in the Maravilla neighborhood, where they were attacked by the victim and his children. This action allegedly prompted Cristian de Jesús “N” to shoot the man in the leg, resulting in his death hours later in a hospital on the island.
Sebastián “N” and Cristian de Jesús “N” were arrested “due to their alleged involvement in acts possibly constituting the crime of abuse of authority,” the FGE said. “The second of them also has an open investigation file for his probable participation in acts probably constituting the crime of aggravated homicide,” they added.
An investigation into the shooting that left the island man dead was opened after a request by the mayor.
