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Police officer killed a homeless man with four shots; court reduced sentence due to 'attenuating context'
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Crime & Justice

Police officer killed a homeless man with four shots; court reduced sentence due to 'attenuating context'

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • An appeals court reduced a police officer's sentence from eight years and ten months to five years and six months for fatally shooting a homeless man.
  • The court affirmed the officer committed homicide but rejected claims of self-defense or acting within the law, and also dismissed a premeditation charge.
  • The victim, known as "El Coyote," had a history of drug use and nine prior criminal records; the officer had previously insulted and threatened him in messages.

A Uruguayan appeals court has significantly reduced the prison sentence for a police officer who fatally shot a homeless man known as "El Coyote." The officer, initially sentenced to eight years and ten months for homicide, will now serve five years and six months. The court confirmed the officer committed the crime but ruled out claims of self-defense or acting lawfully.

What a great opportunity when he was near the dumpster to clean him up... I almost fulfilled my dream of killing one of these blacks.

— Police officerAn audio recording played during the trial, revealing discriminatory intent.

The victim, a known drug user with nine prior criminal convictions, was shot multiple times, with three bullets hitting his back. The prosecution had sought a 17-year sentence, arguing premeditation, but the appeals court rejected this, stating there was insufficient evidence of a sustained criminal intent over time. The court distinguished between insults and a firmly established plan to kill.

An earlier incident on February 13, 2023, involved the same individuals. The officer observed "El Coyote" carrying a weapon and subsequently sent him insulting and threatening messages, some of which were played during the trial. These messages, described by the first-instance judge as showing a "worrying and serious discriminatory bias," were deemed by the appeals court as vulgar private communications not sufficient to prove premeditation.

insulting, denigrating, vulgar expressions and 'of very bad taste'

— Court of AppealsDescribing the police officer's private messages to the victim.

The fatal encounter occurred on March 5, 2023. The court found it unclear whether the victim approached the officer's home to apologize or for another reason. However, it was established that the officer saw the victim carrying a weapon. The officer asked him to surrender it, but the situation escalated, leading to the shooting.

premeditation requires something more than insults or expressions of anger, and requires 'a criminal decision maintained over time and acts aimed at concretizing it'

— Court of AppealsExplaining the legal threshold for premeditation in the case.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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