[ad_1]
They say it was the coup de grace, the last push and the exhaustion of the credit account. A police procedure in Talcahuano, in which a police officer shot and injured two minors from a center of the Sename network, was what finally ended up cutting off the stay of the then general director of the police, Mario Rozas, in command of the institution. It was November 18 of this year.
The case accelerated the promotion to director general of Ricardo Yánez, current police chief of the Carabineros, and a series of modifications within the police command. Political recriminations from the opposition to the government also accompanied those days.
The policeman who shot in Talcahuano on November 18 was Sergeant John Mograve Villegas, who was formalized by the prosecution for the crime of unlawful coercion and was even in preventive detention for a week.
Today the policeman is complying with the precautionary measure of house arrest and waiting for the completion of the investigation, which has a deadline of February 2021. From the Fundación Nos Importan -organization that advises carabineros in cases of public order-, they indicate that ” In this case, the lives of the police were in danger and the sergeant was forced to use his last recourse, which is the use of his weapon. It is very easy to give your opinion from a desktop, but to do so you have to put yourself in their place for sometime. The question now is who defends the Carabineros? Are we going to transform being a policeman now into a punishment? “
Mograve decided to answer in writing the questions posed by The Third PM, in which he recalled how the events occurred and what he expects from the police command.
How did they get to the center of the Sename that day of the shooting?
Responding to a call from the SAMU, who had to attend a young man with decompensation problems inside the home. We were with my partner doing our bicycle tour of the Quadrant Plan, and we immediately left for home. The call was not at all strange, it is very common for the SAMU to call the Carabineros in those cases. Carabineros come to provide cooperation, collaborating in what they require and if necessary we adopt the police procedure.
Had you been there before?
I had been many times before at the Carlos Macera center. I personally knew many of the children and adolescents, and in general, especially the little ones, they love us very much. In fact, the day we were attacked, before the attack, we had arranged to fix their bicycles (which were flat) the next day. We have always had a very good relationship with them.
What did they find at the scene when they arrived that day?
In general terms, and in order not to affect the investigation, I can point out that we went to provide assistance and cooperation to SAMU and we were violently attacked. I can only tell you that we arrived in a totally friendly attitude and that when we left, a group of teenagers began to attack us in a very violent way with kicks, stones and sticks. In fact, my helmet was split in two by the force of club blows I received. And then, when reinforcements arrived, they attacked another comrade so aggressively that they ended up breaking his arm with sticks.
Why did you shoot?
I can only tell you that I did everything in my power to deter the youth and avoid having to use my weapon to defend myself. I’ve been in the Carabineros for 19 years and I’ve had many difficult situations, but never anything like this. I feared for my life and I believe that I am alive only thanks to my physical build, which allowed me to run and run and run again between strokes. I am grateful for being alive and not being the 1,222 carabinieri martyr. It is very sad to see that these adolescents, who are the oldest in the center of Sename, who encourage others to be aggressive and lead the youngest between 7 and 8 years to witness these situations of great violence (…). I am very sorry for what happened, because I know these young people. I always try to maintain a friendly and close attitude with people, in fact, I often walk in the street with sweets to give away, especially because street children suffer. I do not come from a family in a golden cradle and in order to get ahead in life I have worked at the institution from a very young age.
What did you think when you began to realize the consequences of the police procedure?
The truth is that while all this was happening, I was only thinking about my family and the repercussions that this event could have for us. Personally, the consequences have been many, this incident changed my life radically. Emotionally, I have had a panic attack and I am in psychological treatment. I am taking sleeping pills at night. But, on the other hand, I have had so much support from the people here who know me that it encourages me to move forward. I have been contacted by my colleagues, the neighborhood councils, schools, people from the towns, established businesses and also street vendors.
Finally, General Rozas resigned. How did you take that?
Honestly, even though my case is related to his departure, I have always believed that whoever is at the top (position) should support the Carabineros and I always tell my colleagues “with the truth, above all, even if it costs you your job, with the truth ahead they will always believe in you, without omitting or inventing anything ”. Because I think that if that’s the case, the leadership is going to support us and believe in each one of us. And so it has been with me.
In what summary situation are you?
Administratively, there is an ongoing investigation and judicially I am under house arrest and on February 20 the investigation stage would end. Of everything that has happened to me, the most painful thing was that they said that I was a danger to society. I am not a bad person and everyone who knows me can attest to that.
General Yáñez traveled to visit you, what did he transmit to you?
The support of my general director with his visit was very significant. I thanked him very much for his visit and asked him to continue supporting the police, so that they once again believe in the leadership and know that always with the truth ahead they have the unconditional support of the institution. Our young people are unmotivated, they have to believe in the institution again and without police in the streets, those who lose are all citizens.
