OVIEDO, Spain — A Spanish police officer was killed and another was seriously injured on Tuesday when an explosive device inside a backpack went off as officers responded to a shooting in the northern city of Oviedo, according to The Associated Press.
Police spokesman Pedro Aguado said officers got a call at about 7:30 a.m. about a dispute between neighbors in the Villafría district, where shots had been fired. They found a 17-year-old girl with gunshot wounds. She was taken to the Central University Hospital of Asturias, and a spokesperson for the local council told Reuters she was no longer in danger.
While officers searched for the gunman, they found a backpack with a flashing light on the landing of the building. They called in the canine unit and bomb disposal specialists, Aguado said.
“While the package was being moved outside to ensure the safety of the residents, an explosion occurred,” Aguado said. The blast happened at about 8:50 a.m.
The officer who died was a sub-inspector in the National Police canine unit, and the force named him as Juan José. A bomb disposal officer was seriously injured and had a leg amputated. He was undergoing surgery at the same hospital, police said. A three-year-old police dog, Deny, who was working alongside Juan José, was also killed, the National Police said.
Suspect still at large
The suspected gunman fled. Police closed all roads into Oviedo as they hunted for him, and the operation caused long traffic backups at the entrances to the city. Police said the suspect could be armed.
There is no indication so far that the explosion was terror-related, according to authorities. Police sources told Spanish media that a terrorist motive had been ruled out for now and that the suspect had a record for ordinary crimes. Police have not named him. The Spanish news agency EFE said the suspect has a record of petty crime.
Government spokesperson Elma Saiz expressed the government’s condolences for the fallen officer. “I also want to send a message for the recovery of the officer who was seriously injured during the explosion,” Saiz said. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was deeply shocked by the officer’s death, and Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition People’s Party, said: “What happened in Oviedo is heartbreaking.”