Cop charged in shooting of US tourist

PANAMA’ Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged an officer of the Institutional Protection Service (SPI) with shooting a 22 ­year­ old American tourist in Casco Viejo on  April 28.

The incident took  place  when the officer in the special unit whose duties include  guarding the country’s president, fired at a taxi driver who reportedly didn’t have a  license.

A judge has approved the request of  Prosecutor Víctor Raúl Barrios Puga for the testimony of the victim be recorded before he leaves the country.

The statement has been taken at the private hospital where the victim is being treated. The US citizen was injured in an incident in the early morning hours when the officer  was trying to stop the taxi driver from fleeing from custody.

The driver allegedly did not have a license. The tourist was wounded in the shoulder and taken to Hospital Santo Tomas, and after emergency treatment to a  private hospital.