- Written by Vanessa Buschluter
- BBC news
image source, SEGOB Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala state security officials hold emergency meeting following violence in Zacatelco
A police officer in the Mexican city of Zacatelco has died after being assaulted by residents enraged by the murder of a taxi driver.
Police reportedly intervened when local residents attacked two men suspected of killing a taxi driver.
Several other police officers were also injured by the angry mob of neighbors.
Residents of Zacatelco complain that crimes go unpunished.
According to a local daily newspaper El Sol de TlaxcalaFour men tried to rob an elderly taxi driver’s car and killed him when he resisted.
Local residents who witnessed the incident gave chase, captured two of the four suspects, and assaulted them in a local square.
State police intervened and rescued the suspects, but the group then opened fire on the officers, restraining two of them and assaulting them.
One person was rescued by colleagues and is being treated for serious injuries. However, a second state trooper was detained for several hours, local newspapers reported.
He was eventually released after police reinforcements arrived, but later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Lynchings are common in some parts of Mexico, where criminals are often not held accountable by police.
According to figures released by the NGO Causa en Común (Common Cause), Tlaxcala state, where Zacatelco is located, recorded 23 attempted incidents between January and September 2023. This is the highest number in Mexico.
Three incidents of lynching in Tlaxcala turned out to be fatal.
Polls show violent crime and lack of security are Mexicans’ top concerns, and anger over low prosecutions is fueling vigilante violence.
