Former‌ ‌Police‌ ‌Officer‌ ‌Arrested‌ ‌For‌ ‌Blinding‌ ‌Gustavo‌ ‌Gatica‌ ‌ [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

by Fernanda Gandara22 August, 2020



Reading Time: 2 minutes
SANTIAGO — Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) arrested Claudio Crespo at his home. He is a former police officer accused of blinding 21-year-old Gustavo Gatica during the 2019 protests. Crespo was removed from the police force recently for allegedly deleting footage from the day Gatica was blinded.

In the early hours of Aug. 21, former lieutenant colonel Claudio Crespo was apprehended at his house. He is being accused of shooting Gustavo Gatica in the face during the 2019 protests. Gatica lost his eyesight as a result.

The 2019 protests were a wake-up call. But during the large-scale protests across the country, hundreds sustained eye injuries due to rubber bullets shot and tear gas canisters thrown by police for crowd dispersal. The human rights institute (INDH) reported that from October 2019 to February 2020, 445 people suffered eye injuries related to police action.

Of the total injured, Gustavo Gatica and Fabiola Campillay were left completely blind. Campillay received a tear gas canister in her face while on her way to work.

More:
https://chiletoday.cl/site/former%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cpolice%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cofficer%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8carrested%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cfor%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cblinding%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cgustavo%e2%80%8c-%e2%80%8cgatica%e2%80%8c/



Gustavo Gatica, before being blinded.



Fabiola Campillay