Spain: Police officer killed in Oviedo after neighborhood dispute escalates with explosion

At least one officer was killed and another injured as a fight between two families became increasingly violent.

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Spanish police in Oviedo
The incident reportedly included an elite police officer trained in handling explosives and K-9 handlerImage: Juan Vega/Europa Press/IMAGO

A national police officer was killed in Oviedo, Spain on Tuesday following an explosion in the Villafria neighborhood. Another is being treated for serious wounds in a nearby hospital.

According to local media, the officers were responding to an escalating dispute between two local families in which a woman was shot by a man early in the morning. She is reportedly expected to recover, though it remains unclear what prompted the attack.

Suspect fled the scene

The two officers — a member of the elite TEDAX explosives unit and a canine handler — approached a suspicious backpack at the scene, which then detonated before it could be neutralized.

Police union JUPOL expressed its “deep sorrow and dismay” over the incident.

The area surrounding Rafael Urrusti Street has been cordoned off. Spanish daily El Pais reported that Oviedo Mayor Alfredo Canteli is heading to the scene to try and settle some of the confusion surrounding the attacks. The newspaper also wrote that a 64-year-old suspect, a Spanish national, is still at large. He reportedly has a history of petty crimes. He wife has been detained as part of the investigation.

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