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Yesterday, a video shared on social media showed police officers beating a man and taking him into custody for allegedly now wearing a face mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities from Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, Jalisco , confirmed that the local Attorney General’s Office was investigating the death of Giovanni López , who was allegedly arrested for not wearing a mask by municipal police in early May.
However, local authorities said they could not provide further information because this is an ongoing investigation .
According to reports, Giovanni was arrested by municipal police officers on May 4 while his family was present. The next day, when his family looked for him at the local police station, they were informed that Giovanni was in the hospital , receiving treatment for the wounds inflicted by the cops.
Later, the family learned Giovanni died after suffering a fatal head injury . Once the family arrived at the forensic service, they noticed Giovanni had been shot in the leg.
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Once the family realized there were no developments in the investigation, they decided to publicly denounce the police.
The family said the mayor offered MXN 200,000 in exchange for their silence and also threatened them.
This morning, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro meth with several mayors, including the mayor of Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos . They agreed to implement zero-tolerance measures against those who don’t follow the hygiene measures established during the COVID-19 pandemic but failed to address the Giovanni's death.
Later, it was confirmed that Jalisco Attorney General’s Office are investigating several police officers from Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, for they involvement in the death of Giovanni López.
Although it was first said that the man was arrested for not wearing a face mask , the Jalisco Attorney General, Gerardo Octavio Solís Gómez said that wasn’t the reason behind the arrest but said the real reason is still unknown.
Solís Gómez also said authorities found inconsistencies between the statements given by the officers and expert opinions. The police officers involved in the incident haven’t been removed from the job.
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Anger built in Mexico on June 4 over the police brutality case. Hundreds of protesters marched Thursday evening in Guadalajara , the capital of Jalisco to demand justice in the death of Giovanni López. Some broke into the state Capitol and sprayed graffiti on the walls while others later set two police patrol vehicles on fire. Police officers unfoundedly attacked arrested protesters and media outlets staff documenting the arrests. Authorities reported that 26 people were arrested over acts of vandalism and attacks against police officers, one of whom was set on fire and whose health condition is reported as stable.
The protest ended after three hours when the police fired tear gas against the protesters. Jalisco’s governor Enrique Alfaro defended the response of the police officers and claimed the disturbances were orchestrated by Mexico’s federal government.
On June 9, the National Human Rights Commission announced it would investigate Giovanni's death . The decision was announced a week after people protesting his death were the victims of police brutality on Jalisco .
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On June 11, Jalisco 's Human Rights Commission said the murder of Giovanni at the hands of local police officers was an extrajudicial execution .
The report issued by the human rights watchdog said that the investigation allows it to confirm that the actions of the municipal police officers translate into an extrajudicial execution.
The human rights commission added that Giovanni's arrest was illegal and arbitrary and that the physical injuries caused his death.
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