Police officer dies after backpack explodes while responding to shooting in Spain
A Spanish police officer was killed and another was seriously injured after a backpack containing an explosive device detonated as they responded to a shooting, local authorities said.
The officers had been responding to a violent dispute between two families on Tuesday, during which a young woman was shot and injured by a man on the outskirts of Oviedo at around 7:30am, local authorities said.
The device exploded at around 8:30am, killing a member of the National Police’s canine unit, and leaving an officer of the bomb disposal unit in a very serious condition after losing a leg, police union JUPOL said in a statement.
The union said that upon arriving at the scene of the shooting on Rafael Urrusti Street outskirts of Oviedo, police found a backpack at the building’s entrance containing the explosive device.
It detonated as officers took it away from the building to defuse it.
The area has now been cordoned off as National Police deploy a large operation, according to Spanish outlet El Pais.
The EFE news agency reports that Alfredo Canteli, the mayor of Oviedo, is heading now to the scene to gather information on what happened.
More to follow…
