Mexico City cops under scrutiny over deadly stampede

Authorities of Mexico’s capital fired 17 officers as more and more blame has been placed on the police for a deadly stampede last Friday. At least twelve people died while trying to flee a nightclub as police launched a surprise raid on underage revelers. One eyewitness claimed that the police overstepped their authority:

The owner announced the raid over a loudspeaker and asked everyone to leave, promising free entrance the following week. But witnesses said they quickly found themselves trapped amid stifling heat.

"The police told us they were not going to let us leave and closed the doors," 16-year-old Rebeca Mohzo, told the Televisa network. "Everyone was desperate because there was no air."

A video showing the club before and after the raid was taped by police and distributed to local media outlets. However, the “heavily censored” footage did not show the stampede itself nor did it depict the bodies of those injured or killed:

The actions by police have come under fire from numerous sectors including from Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard who deemed the raid and its consequences as “ethically unacceptable.”

Sources- washingtonpost.com, chron.com, Monsters & Critics, YouTube