Police in El Salvador told they can shoot gang members if they feel unsafe

(Image credit: iStock)

In El Salvador, where seven police officers have been killed so far this year, members of law enforcement have been told they can shoot at gang members if they feel threatened.

"We support...any member of the police, our police, who in fulfillment of his duties and the defense of the safety of citizens, uses his gun and should use it without any fear of suffering consequences," Vice President Oscar Ortiz said in a statement on Wednesday. Previously, police officers who used deadly force were investigated and could be fired, Reuters reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.