Keymer Ávila

Farmer, C. y Richard, E. [EDIT.] (2022). Policing & Firearms New Perspectives and Insights. Springer.

This chapter investigates intentional homicides, which occurred in Venezuela during 2016, where the victims were State security force/policing personnel. Its objective is to understand key characteristics of these incidents across the country. The results of the analysis from a previous investigation of officer homicide cases that occurred in the Caracas Metropolitan Area (AMC) during 2013 serve as background to contrast the results observed in the same area in 2016. The general characteristics of the AMC cases are then juxtaposed with those of the rest of the country. Among the main findings are that most police victims of homicide were not on duty, not in uniform and not identifiable as officers at the time of the incident. While they typically carried their firearms, this did not save their lives; on the contrary, on occasions it heightened the risk of the situation. The empirical evidence found largely contradicts dominant media and political discourse regarding the deaths of State security force officials.

An earlier version of this research was published in Spanish in Misión Jurídica, Revista de Derecho y Ciencias Sociales, No. 15, 2018. This research was supported by the Network of Activism and Research for Coexistence (REACIN).

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