Catalan police chief refutes interior head on rubber bullet use

Catalan Police Chief Manel Prat announced on Friday that he has ordered an investigation to determine whether rubber bullets were fired by officers caused a woman to lose her eye during the November 14 general strike.

"We need to find out what happened," said Prat, who is director of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police force, during a radio interview. "We need to find out which officer fired the bullets."

Prat's statements contradict the official version given in the regional parliament by Catalan interior chief Felip Puig, who denied the police fired rubber bullets at Ester Quintana, who lost her left eye in the incident. Puig insisted the projectiles came from protestors taking part in a massive demonstration in Barcelona on the day of the strike.

The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and the Catalan "greens," the ICV, have demanded Puig's resignation.

Videos of the incident purportedly show that the police were firing at some protestors.

After having viewed a video of the demonstration, Puig has acknowledged that officers could have used their weapons. He said he was confident that the Mossos would conduct their own internal investigation "and take appropriate measures."

Prat has said the Mossos did not fire rubber bullets at the intersection of Gràcia and Casp streets, where Quintana was, but acknowledged they did use their weapons in other areas during the general strike when crowds became unruly.

One video shows an officer firing his weapon less than 100 meters from the crowd where Quintana was located.

The 42-year-old woman has filed a complaint against the Mossos. She said she cannot be sure whether it was a rubber bullet that struck her, but is convinced the object came from a police officer.

Her friends have launched a campaign on social networks in her support.