This Wednesday, in the Fourth Criminal Court of Santiago, the oral trial against former police officer Sebastián Zamoraaccused of pushing a young man into the Mapocho riverwithin the framework of the protests due to the social outbreak.
The event occurred on October 2, 2020when the former uniformed man attacked with his section for the Pío Nono bridge In the midst of the protests, impacting a 16-year-old boy, who fell 7.4 meters towards the river bed and he was left with both of his wrists broken, a head injury and a contusion at the base of his right lung.
The investigation is in charge of the prosecutor Ximena Chong.
Last January, the Prosecutor’s Office filed a brief before the Seventh Guarantee Court of Santiago, offering an abbreviated procedure to the defense of the former uniformed man, which includes a sentence of no more than five years different from his initial claim of eight years in prison.
However, the defense declined the agreement, according to what was reported in the press, motivated by the reincorporation into the trial evidence of a report called «motor gesture» that would prove that the accused ran towards the victim to arrest her, but when he collided with her I would have thrown her off the bridge.
🔴 LIVE: 4°TOP of Santiago begins oral trial against Carabineros official accused of being the perpetrator of frustrated homicide on the Pío Nono bridge.
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— Chilean Judiciary (@PJudicialChile) May 22, 2024
THE PROSECUTION OF THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
The Public Ministry maintains its intentionality thesisdespite the expert opinion that reported a Zamora’s «slowdown» at the time of the incident.
«On Friday, October 2, 2020, around 7:30 p.m., the accused, while on duty, along with a larger number of officials from different groups, received the instruction to carry out a tactical maneuver called ‘rush‘, (…) from Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins with Merced to the north. This is advancing to Calle Cardenal José María Caro first and then on the Poniente sidewalk of the Pío Nono Bridge,» says the prosecution’s accusation, read at the beginning of the trial by the Judge Patricia Bründlas collected Emol.
«This maneuver,» the indictment states, «is intended to clear and disperse in circumstances where an unauthorized demonstration was taking place in the place, which kept the circulation of vehicles partially interrupted, in addition to observing some people throwing blunt objects at the staff. of Carabineros».
The accusation indicates that «a number of police officers of around 15 to 20 officers, at least, led by personnel armed with shields and supported by personnel equipped with isomer batons, run in two consecutive lines towards the protesters, who, therefore , they move away from the place.»
«It is thus that the victim found the 16-year-old adolescent with the initials AJAA on the Poniente sidewalk of the Pío Nono Bridge, (…) on his back and running towards the north, along the side of the sidewalk immediately adjacent to the railings of the bridge and parallel to said railing, which maintains a height of 1.1 meters, the accused, who was also running, as indicated, lunges diagonally at the teenager, taking him with his arms and propelling him in such a way that he lifts him up. over the railing in question, and makes him fall headlong into the Mapocho River, that is, from a height of approximately 7.4 meters, with the victim collapsing against the bed of the same river,» he adds.
The prosecution claims that «The Carabineros official does not take any action aimed at avoiding the fall.»