Carabineros de Chile has dismissed an officer who claimed he was shot while returning home in Talcahuano earlier this month.
The officer, who was not identified by name, reported being attacked by unknown assailants during the early hours of March 12. He asserted that he heard gunfire while walking home after his shift and engaged in an exchange of fire, during which he sustained a wound to his hand.
Following the event, the officer was transported to Las Higueras Hospital in Talcahuano for treatment. However, the internal investigation launched by the police force quickly cast doubt on his version of events.
Discrepancies in testimony
Investigators discovered that the officer provided conflicting accounts of the incident during the follow-up inquiry. These shifting details prompted the institution to move forward with his immediate discharge.
Richard Soto Salamanca, the regional secretary for Public Security in Bío Bío, confirmed the dismissal on Tuesday. He stated that the administrative decision was a direct result of the inconsistencies identified between the officer’s initial claims and the physical evidence gathered by investigators.
“This carabinero generated an inconsistency between what he proposed as the facts and what was later found during the investigative process,” Soto said. “They realized there was an inconsistency in his statement and the facts investigated, which is why he was discharged from the institution and an internal summary was opened.”
The administrative summary remains active as authorities work to determine exactly what occurred on the night in question. Officials have not yet disclosed what specific evidence contradicted the officer's report.
