A 40-year-old man died after being hit on the Almatriche road. The driver, who tested positive for alcohol, attempted to evade arrest by brandishing an eight-centimetre knife.
A tragic traffic accident resulted in the death of a 40-year-old pedestrian on the Almatriche road in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this Thursday. The incident occurred around 4:45 PM when a vehicle struck the victim, who was thrown onto the roadway. The car continued on, colliding with several parked vehicles and hitting a motorcyclist, who sustained minor injuries.
An aggressive driver under the influence
After the incident, the driver of the vehicle involved was subjected to a breathalyser test by the Local Police, returning a positive result. When informed of his arrest, the man, around 40 years old, became violent and brandished an eight-centimetre knife, threatening the officers with remarks such as: “Stay right there, I have a knife, you know.”
The tense situation lasted several minutes until one of the police officers, who was in training, managed to subdue the suspect by taking advantage of a moment of inattention. The CSIF union has praised the officers' actions but also criticized the lack of non-lethal means such as electronic control devices (tasers).
The lack of tasers, a union demand
CSIF representatives lament that “we regret that in situations like these, where the driver is aggressive and brandishing a knife, officers are not equipped with non-lethal tools like tasers.” The union explains that currently no unit operating in public areas is equipped with these devices, as the authorisation for those who carried them has expired.
Police officers in training, like the one who subdued the suspect, do have the authorisation to use tasers, but they have not been provided with them yet. “Police officers should not have to take on this risk when there are less harmful tools than firearms,” the union adds.
Emergency intervention and traffic disruption
Three ambulances from the Canarian Emergency Service (SUC) and Local Police units were dispatched to the scene of the accident, securing the area and managing traffic while paramedics attended to the victims. Traffic on the Almatriche road remained closed for several hours to facilitate investigation and cleanup efforts.
For the residents of Almatriche and surrounding areas, this incident represents another episode of danger on a road that has already seen other accidents. The Local Police are in charge of the investigation to clarify the exact circumstances of the incident, while the suspect remains in judicial custody.
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