Puerto Rico officer kills 3 officers

The suspect’s name has not yet been released. Officer Guarionex Candelario Rivera, 50, reportedly entered a police station in Ponce, Puerto Rico complaining about a disciplinary action against him that had taken him off of normal patrol duty.

We will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates when they are available. The two higher-ranking victims worked in the administrative division and did not supervise the suspect, the police said. She said police did not have a motive. Officers at the scene told reporters that the victims include Lieutenant Luz Soto Segarra and Commander Frank Román.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla told reporters that the suspect was injured during the shooting and remains hospitalized.

The Puerto Rican news website El Vocero reported that Candelario was taken into custody after being shot two of three times in the side and back during the attack, which began unfolding at 10am local time. Her husband is also a lieutenant with the Ponce Police Department.

The building where the Ponce Police Command is located was evacuated for security reasons, after Rivera said he had planted an explosive device inside.

Soto and Roman each had been with Puerto Rico’s police department for more than 20 years, said Cruz, who called them longtime friends.

At around 9:30 am on Monday, Valencia said, Candelario arrived at police headquarters in Ponce and asked for a meeting with personnel supervisors.

“They were both excellent people”, Cruz said in a phone interview.

SAN JUAN Dec 28 The United States is backtracking from its historic position acknowledging Puerto Rico’s right to self-governance, Puerto Rico’s governor says in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case over so-called double jeopardy laws. Officers were accused of illegal killings, corruption, and other civil rights violations.