TULUÁ, Colombia — An officer from the National Police was killed and another was injured following an armed confrontation in the rural district of La Marina, located approximately 30 minutes from the urban center of Tuluá, in the central region of Valle del Cauca department.
According to reports confirmed by local authorities and reported by Caracol Radio, police units were dispatched to the nightlife sector of La Marina after receiving reports regarding an alleged physical altercation inside a commercial establishment. Upon arriving at the scene to respond to the situation, the officers were ambushed and fired upon by several armed individuals present in the area.
The patrol officers reacted to defend themselves, initiating an exchange of gunfire. During the confrontation, a 31-year-old patrolman, who had served seven years in the institution, sustained fatal gunshot wounds and died at the scene. The second officer involved in the incident suffered injuries that authorities indicated were not life-threatening.
Video footage circulating on social media platforms captured moments of the armed encounter, showing an individual carrying a rifle while discharging the firearm toward the police officers during an attempted escape. The individual fell to the ground before resuming his escape on foot.
In the response operation, one of the alleged attackers was killed. Preliminary reporting provided by security authorities identifies the deceased suspect as a suspected member of the Frente 57 Yair Bermúdez, an armed dissident faction originating from the former FARC.
Following the tactical procedure, law enforcement authorities recovered and seized items at the scene, including:
- One rifle
- One handgun
- One motorcycle with a registered report of theft
Authorities noted that this incident coincided with separate security developments in the area. An armed confrontation was also reported in the rural district of Monteloro, within the jurisdiction of Tuluá, involving reported clashes between the Frente 57 Yair Bermúdez and the Compañía Adán Izquierdo, both recognized as dissident insurgent structures. No injuries or fatalities were reported from the Monteloro confrontation.
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