A police officer investigated for negligence during the Halloween tragedy in Itaweon, South Korea, was found dead in Seoul today. The station where he works, as well as the Yongsan District Fire Department, is suspected of being slow to respond to calls from crush victims that left at least 156 dead on October 29.
According to the Yonhap news agency, the 55-year-old police intelligence officer was found dead at home by a family member. He was identified by the local press with only his last name Jeong.
According to the investigation into the tragedy, Jeong would order the deletion of intelligence reports made before the party, which had already warned of security risks on the nation’s first Halloween following the covid-19 pandemic. The suspect’s action will be part of a plan to “cover up the passivity” of the police forces in the face of danger.
According to the Korean news agency, if he had been charged, the officer could have faced prosecution for abuse of power, destruction of evidence and negligence that resulted in death.
The day before he was found dead, Jeong reportedly sent messages to some of his colleagues suggesting he was considering suicide, but officially the causes of his death are still being investigated.
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Tens of thousands of costumed revelers, mostly teenagers and in their 20s, flocked to the narrow streets and alleys of the trendy Itaewon neighborhood on October 29 for the first virtually unlimited Halloween festivities in three years.
The circumstances of the incident have not yet been fully elucidated, but preliminary information indicates that hundreds of people were in a high and narrow area at the time of the crash, creating a domino effect that resulted in a massive crush.
In addition to 156 dead, at least 147 people were injured. Among the dead are 26 citizens from 14 countries.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for a full investigation, and officials said they were focused on rebuilding the uprising and seeing if anyone who triggered the crushing was responsible.
“We are analyzing the security cameras to find the exact cause of the accident,” police chief inspector Nam Gu-jun told reporters.
“We will continue to question more witnesses, including employees at nearby stores.”
source: Noticias
