[REVISION HISTORY]

Legislators protest police incident and rising interventions

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-17 02:54 UTC → 2026-10-18 01:48 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The political crisis in the Dominican Republic following the handcuffing of Deputy Millys Martínez has escalated into a broader legislative challenge against police conduct and lethal force. Following the incident in Comendador, where Martínez was detained while attempting to intervene in an arrest, a walkout by Chamber of Deputies members forced the suspension of legislative proceedings due to a lack of quorum. While the National Police have denied that a formal arrest occurred, new video footage has surfaced that some commentators suggest shows the deputy handling the handcuffs herself. Despite this, National Police Director Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García and Deputy Martínez met to resolve the dispute, with both parties agreeing to consider the incident ‘superado’ (resolved) and reaffirming a commitment to institutional cooperation. The meeting was facilitated by the ruling PRM party bloc to prevent institutional damage. Although the conflict between the two leaders has been declared settled, the National Police maintained that an investigation into the conduct of the officers involved remains ongoing, stating that any agents found to have committed excesses will face legal and institutional sanctions. General Martín Tapia Sánchez has been tasked with leading these inquiries to determine if any officers committed abuses of authority. The incident has also catalyzed a Senate inquiry into police violence. Senator Antonio Taveras has introduced a resolution to summon both Minister Raful and National Police Director Ernesto Rodríguez García to explain protocols regarding the use of lethal force. This move follows reports that deaths resulting from police interventions, often referred to by authorities as ‘exchanges of gunfire’, accounted for 23% of the 625 recorded homicides during the first half of 2026. The Senate has referred the resolution to a commission for a two-week study.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.