A Policía Local officer is standing trial for shooting at a noisy neighbour. He is facing three years’ imprisonment if found guilty. According to the Public Prosecutor, the accused shot at the said neighbour four times after an argument over the noise he was making.
The prosecution describes the act as attempted murder, although he is willing to accept a partial attenuation of self defence, as the neighbour allegedly threatened him with a knife. In fact, the neighbour and his wife are also sitting on the accused’s bench, facing a charge of threatening behaviour with a corresponding sentence recommendation of 15 months’ imprisonment for him and 12 months for her as an accomplice.
The incident occured in the early hours of the 20th of June, 2009 when the 39-year-old policeman, F.V.M., stomped around to his neighbour’s flat belonging to 48-year-old Nicolás C.R., to express his opinion on the volume of their music, punctuating his point of view with blows from his fist to the wall… which enlivened things, yet to little avail. After repeating the visit a little later, he decided to stomp around to the police station in Zubia (Granada); i.e., his place of work.
The prime purpose of this visit was to receive advice on his rights etc. He did, however, just happen to pick up his automatic pistol, fully loaded, and take it home with him – it is reasonable to assume that this was not done with the intention of giving it a good cleaning during his off-duty hours.
Upon returning to the apartment block, he bumped into the wife of his noisy neighbour and began to remonstrate with her in the stairwell of the building.
Moments later, the husband appeared and joined the argument with the policeman. The wife, who just happened to be carrying a knife, handed it to her husband. Apparently, a flick knife is standard equipment for taking out the rubbish in that area of the city. Nicolás (the husband) then informed the policeman that he was contemplating plunging the said blade “into his heart.”
The policeman, taking the neighbour at his word, took plenty of paces backwards without turning around and warned Nicolás to desist as he was himself suitably armed for the occasion. Nicolás was unconvinced and advanced until he had the policeman cornered, at which point the policeman drew the pistol and fired two shots into the floor, and then impressed by the effect, fired off four more rounds in the general direction of the neighbour, without seemingly hitting him, even though the target was only one metre away.
(News: Zubia, Granada, Andalucia)