Video: Man fires shots at Catalan police officer after snatching weapon

A man snatched a Catalan police officer’s service weapon and shot a fellow agent at close range on Wednesday afternoon in the Catalan town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona).

The victim was protected by her bulletproof vest and emerged nearly unscathed from the incident.

A patrol car had been dispatched to Avenida de la Generalitat shortly after 6.30pm after a man was reported to be standing in the street and hurling objects at passersby.

When the officers asked the individual for identification – he was reported as a 33-year-old citizen of Georgia – he assaulted the police, said sources familiar with the case.

Several officers restrained the suspect, who still managed to pull a weapon from its holster and shoot twice at another officer who was standing nearby.

She and two other officers sustained light injuries as a result of the incident. The suspect has been charged with attempted homicide and assaulting the authorities.

This is the second time in a month that an arrested individual has managed to disarm a member of the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police force.

On March 14, a 50-year-old man who was being subdued by several policemen grabbed a weapon, pointed it at one of the officers and shot twice. The officer was unharmed as the gun was not loaded.

English version by Susana Urra.