A police officer hit locksmith Evans Marín three times in the face during a protest Tuesday outside Congress, according to footage from a security camera.
Marín was part of a demonstration against the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the United States (CAFTA), but he separated from the other protestors to film activity on the boulevard outside Congress. Camera footage shows Marín speaking to two police officers, then following them with his video camera.
One officer then turned toward Marín and hit him with his stick, according to footage. As Marín walked away, the officer hit him twice more in the face. Marín, who apparently made no violent move, clutched his face and sunk to the ground. The other protesters and more police officers then entered the scene and fistfights ensued.
Marín told The Tico Times that the fight started with a verbal spat, when the police officer accused him of “clowning around.” He blacked out after being hit, he said, and the Red Cross took him to Calderón Guardia Hospital.
Libertarian Movement Party (ML) legislator Carlos Gutiérrez wrote to President Oscar Arias yesterday, citing the footage and requesting an investigation of the officer. The Libertarian Movement is a rightwing party that supports CAFTA. |
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