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06-26-2008, 04:39 AM
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Charges over Mexico club stampede
The police chief who led a botched raid on a nightclub in which 12 people died will be charged with homicide, Mexico City's chief prosecutor has said.
Commander Guillermo Zayas will face 12 counts of homicide, one for each death, the prosecutor said. Commander Zayas allegedly failed to give orders for people to be let out of the club because police vans were full. Nine youths were killed in the crush that followed. Three police officers also died and 20 people were injured. The youngest victim was a 13-year-old girl. On Tuesday, the city's authorities suspended 17 police officers over the raid. "The prosecutor will charge Mr Zayas, with responsibility for various crimes of homicide, 12 in total," said the chief prosecutor, Rodolfo Felix. "Even though there is no evidence that Guillermo Zayas ever ordered police to close the doors of the discotheque, or block the entrance, it has been proven that he never gave the order to police blocking the entrance to let the youths out," Mr Felix said at a news conference. Victims' shoes outside the News Divine nightclub The police raided the club after reports of underage drinking and drug sales It all happened during a police raid on the News Divine club on Friday to investigate claims of underage drinking and drug sales. Police blamed the club owner for the tragedy, saying he had announced that officers were there to arrest everybody. But now a video released by the city's public security department appears to show police blocking one of the main exits. They are shown forming a barrier on the stairway that leads to the exit. A number of young people can be seen screaming and beating on the ceiling of the stairway, trying to get out. Civilian employees who helped organise the raid have already been suspended. The club's owner has been charged with selling alcohol to minors.      
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