Police Investigate Shooting After Detainee Escapes

Twenty-four-year-old Emil Rivas was shot by police on Friday in Independence Village. Rivas was arrested for an alleged aggravated assault with a knife. His family says that Rivas, who is on medication due to a mental health condition, was brutalised by police before being shot in the stomach and leg.

The department is refuting the family’s version of events. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero told reporters today that Rivas was taken into custody but attempted to escape while at the police station.

“He jumped out of the back of a police vehicle and sustained some injuries. He was immediately apprehended and taken to the cell where he was detained,” Romero stated.

Romero added that on Saturday morning, while the cell was being cleaned, Rivas escaped again, fleeing to a nearby house where he allegedly armed himself with a machete. Police cornered him, leading to a struggle during which officers attempted to disarm him.

“Attempts were made to disarm him from the machete. A warning shot was fired, but that did not work. At some point, then the police officer shot him in the leg. He’s presently admitted in a stable condition,” Romero explained.

As with all police shootings, the Professional Standards Branch will conduct an investigation.

Romero also addressed reports that Rivas’s mother was allegedly turned away by police when attempting to visit him at the hospital. “I am not aware of that, but if he is in police custody, at some point, she can visit,” he said.