An assault investigation turned deadly Tuesday night in San José when assailants shot and killed Officer Pedro Alberto Fallas, an eight-year veteran of the National Police.

Fallas, 29, and his partner, Eladio Obando Bermúdez, were in pursuit of two suspects of an assault reported near Hotel Del Rey, the Public Security Ministry reported.

They encountered two men on a white Yamaha motorcycle, matching the assailants' description, the ministry reported.

Also riding motorcycles, the police embarked on a police chase that led them toward Tibás, north of San José.

Despite repeated calls by the police for the suspects to stop, the motorcycle only sped up, the ministry reported.

Public Security Vice Minister Rafael Gutiérrez said he believed the assailants ultimately sought refuge among a gathering of people waiting at the Kamaquiri stop for buses headed to the Caribbean province of Limón.

When the officers arrived, the assailants began to shoot. The police could not fire back due to the crowd of at least 20 people, according to Gutiérrez. Obando was shot once in the stomach and was taken to Guardia Calderón Hospital in stable condition.

Fallas suffered two shots, one in the head and another near his left arm.

He became the ninth Costa Rican police officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years.

General Director of the National Police José Fabio Pizarro said both officers were wearing bulletproof vests. But Fallas was hit in the head and his left armpit, parts of the body unprotected by the vest, and Obando was hit through the vest's zipper.

A funeral was held to mourn Fallas yesterday afternoon at the Public Security Ministry's chapel.

“These are the heroes in blue who give their lives for their country,” said Public Security Minister Fernando Berrocal, before the chapel full of police.

-Tico Times