An incident unfolded this afternoon in Barcelona’s Sants district, where a Mossos d’Esquadra officer discharged his firearm during a confrontation with a man who allegedly advanced on patrol officers with pruning shears. The event was reported by Elcaso.cat and took place in a busy urban area near the central transportation hubs that serve both regional and international travelers.
The clash occurred at the street corner where Comtes de Belloch meets Puiggarí, a location that has long been a crossroads for local life and transient residents. In the minutes leading up to the shooting, a heated altercation involved several individuals who had set up temporary camps in the vicinity. The tension escalated quickly, drawing the attention of nearby pedestrians and service workers who were passing through the neighborhood during the late afternoon hours.
According to the account provided by officers on scene, one of the participants in the melee approached the Catalan police unit and, based on statements given by those involved, reportedly raised a weapon resembling pruning shears and appeared ready to strike. In high-stakes moments like these, frontline units are trained to assess threats, maintain command of the situation, and, when necessary, use proportionate force to prevent harm to themselves and others.
In response, the Mosso d’Esquadra officer fired a shot intended to deter the aggressor and create distance between the parties. The individual was struck and subsequently transported by medical responders to a nearby medical facility in serious but not immediately life-threatening condition. The authorities emphasized that the use of force is investigated to determine whether it complied with current protocols and for accountability purposes, as is standard procedure in such incidents.
The coordinates of the incident place it near the city’s bus station area and adjacent open-air parking facilities, a part of the urban landscape that frequently sees a mix of commuters, travelers, and residents. The public safety operation included securing the perimeter, coordinating with other municipal services, and assessing potential hazards to bystanders. Community members are reminded that public spaces in the area continue to function with normal transit patterns as investigators collect evidence and monitor the aftermath of the event. In the wake of this event, authorities have also reaffirmed commitments to de-escalation strategies, welfare support for vulnerable populations, and transparent communication about the incident as investigations proceed. The objective remains to understand the sequence of events, validate witness statements, and determine whether preventive measures could have altered the outcome in any way.