The National Police Agency completed a poignant operation during the Pilar Festival after an incident that could have cost two officers their lives. It unfolded in the Delicias district when two agents responded to a report of gender violence and encountered a 24-year-old Colombian man known by the initials HGC. The man reacted with aggression and attempted to stab the officers with eleven-centimeter scissors near the neck and face. He was ultimately subdued and taken into custody.
The events trace back to the early hours of the day in question. Around 06:00 on October 13, a patrol from the Aragon Police Department’s Citizen Security Brigade was dispatched to a residence on Italia Street in Zaragoza in response to a call from a woman who said she was assaulted by her partner.
On arrival, the officers found the victim confined to a room and the assailant later identified as HGC was inside. The room showed clear signs of a struggle, with the victim bearing a strong blow to the eye. The scene compelled the officers to secure the area and prepare to arrest the aggressor. The victim’s statements supported the investigators’ assessment, and HGC, who was found naked in bed, resisted attempts to be dressed and then attacked his partner again, pushing her toward the bed. The officers intervened to separate them, enduring punches, kicks, and elbow strikes in the process. Yet the tension did not end there.
In the midst of the confrontation, HGC reached for the table where the scissors lay and tried to thrust them at one of the officers’ faces. A violent struggle ensued between HGC and the two officers, with the assailant persistently attempting to stab the officer who was closest to him. By the time a second team from the Citizen Security Brigade arrived, the situation intensified as the newly arrived officers faced similar aggression.
The assailant did not relent, even signaling self-harm by threatening to stab himself with the weapon. He ignored the officers’ commands and fled the residence, only to be pursued to the stairs where the second patrol had positioned itself. There he was finally subdued and restrained. The officers involved continued to confront the threat until control could be established and handcuffs could be secured.
The authorities later declared that the crime under investigation was attempted murder by the suspect’s evident intent to kill, as indicated by his actions during the assault. The officers sustained injuries during the encounter and were transported to a medical facility for evaluation and documentation of their injuries.
In response to the incident, the Unified Police Union issued a formal statement calling for an immediate recognition of the high-risk nature of frontline policing. The union emphasized the critical need for protective upgrades, including the provision of protective vests and stun devices to all front-line officers, to enhance safety during dangerous operations. The call reflected ongoing concerns about officer safety and equipment standards in high-stakes police work. [Source: El Periódico de Aragón]