MADRID, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, shot and killed a man in the early hours of Tuesday morning to end a hostage siege in the town of Calldetenes, near Barcelona in north-eastern Spain.
According to police reports, at around 7:00 a.m. local time (500 GMT), the man had barricaded himself inside a house with two hostages, later identified as his mother and brother.
When officers approached the residence, the man opened fire with a hunting rifle, seriously injuring three officers and leaving two others with minor wounds.
Several units of the Mossos d'Esquadra's elite Special Intervention Group were deployed to the scene. Despite repeated attempts at negotiation, the man refused to cooperate.
"Given the risk to the individuals inside the house, the police launched an operation to free them," the Mossos said in an official statement. "The man fired at the Special Intervention Group, and they were forced to return fire, resulting in his death."
Upon entering the house, officers found the mother alive. Tragically, the brother had died from a gunshot wound.
Speaking to local Catalan radio station RAC1, the mayor of Calldetenes, Miquel Riera, expressed his shock, stating that the family had lived in the town all their lives and had never been known for any violent behavior.
"It is very difficult to understand," he said. ■
