On March 29, 2017, an incident unfolded at a Civil Guard post in Almarza, Soria, during a shift that involved colleagues who had a solid personal and professional rapport. The day began with casual WhatsApp messages about topics unrelated to work, reflecting a momentary lapse in strictly service-focused communication.
The conversation grew tense when one officer questioned another about loyalty and seriousness in their duties. Although the offending agent apologized, insults and threats followed, souring the atmosphere and hinting at underlying tensions between the two men.
Towards the end of the shift, the officer who had made the provocative comment sought a private conversation with his partner to address the situation. They arranged to meet in a park where the partner was walking a dog at night. Clad in uniform and armed, both men revisited the conflict. The partner attempted to return home with his dog, but they argued again and the other officer drew his weapon, firing a shot that narrowly missed the civilian guard’s legs.
Realizing the danger, the targeted officer lunged to seize the gun. In the scramble, the initiator discharged another round and the weapon briefly exploded in that moment of struggle, but the would-be aggressor ultimately managed to wrest the firearm away.
Subsequently, the two officers proceeded to the residence of a civilian guard who performed command duties to explain the incident. One officer accused the other of drinking while on duty and warned not to inform the captain, hinting at potential consequences for everyone involved. The alleged victim of the incident returned to the building after collecting shell casings from the park and urged the commanding colleague to alert the captain, who, however, declined to accept the report and took the phone to place a call himself. The captain indicated he would head to the scene immediately.
As tensions continued, a confrontation erupted again. While the duty officer was preparing to depart, the other officer slammed the door shut and grabbed the duty officer’s hand, causing significant bleeding.
fight and arrest
The two quickly left for the injured officer’s home but did not resolve their dispute en route. At the residence, a struggle ensued to regain control of the civilian guard’s firearm, which had been fired earlier in the park. The captain arrived at the scene, ordered the injured officer to be taken to a hospital, and instructed authorities to locate the other officer, who was subsequently apprehended shortly after.
The military judiciary subsequently issued a ruling through the relevant military court framework. An appeal by the involved officers was dismissed by the Fourth Regional Military Court. The officer who fired the gun received a sentence of one year and two months in prison for a violation relating to fundamental rights and public freedoms through a military protocol that treated the incident as work-related misconduct.
Additionally, a three-month prison term was imposed on the officer acting as commander for the offense against military service. The same individual who injured the other officer received a fine of 600 euros, along with a separate 3,000-euro penalty for an offense against service efficiency, plus compensation to the injured civilian guard. [Citation: Civil Guard case, 2017, Almarza, Soria]