Police with Guns

Stories from Buenos Aires

I have described below four "police with guns" encounters I had during my visits to Buenos Aires, Argentina between 1997 and 1999.

Guns scare me, but Argentine cops with guns scare me even more. As you read on, I am sure you will understand why. Those wide eyes and panicked expressions do not inspire confidence!

Story Number One:

Walking late at night under a train bridge in Palermo, near the intersection of Cervino and Bullrich, where there is a shopping centre, a guy passed by me yelling and muttering to himself. He was obviously mentally ill or seriously drunk. Across the road, was a hot dog stand where 4 taxi drivers were talking and eating. Just like me, they were looking away trying not to attract this guy's attention.

Then suddenly, about 20 cops in paramilitary outfits with automatic rifles and pistols drawn came running around the corner. The guy in lead faced me and barked "Que pasa?" (Whats happening?), to which I responded as I edged warily away and shrugging, "es solo un loco" (it's only a crazy guy). Then one cop pointed at the crazy guy who was about 40 metres away in the middle of the road, and they all charged after him, forgetting me.

Man, these guys were on a mission, so I just walked as fast as calmly possible to the corner and then got the hell outta there! As I moved down the block, I could hear yelling but no gunshots so I suppose that those freaked out commando cops just apprehended the poor, harmless crazy guy.

Story Number Two:

Riding on the Retiro-Constitucion subway line, two stops from Constitucion Station, I noticed a commotion on the other end of my subway car and everyone started rushing to my side in panic. Just then the car came into the station and everyone rushed off and started for the exit, carrying me along with them.

Standing on the platform, I could see a couple of cops happened to be in the station and crouched down, with wide eyes, panicked expressions and guns drawn, they edged towards the subway car. They rushed into the car, pulled a few kids who had apparently been fighting in my subway car, thrust them up against the wall of the subway platform.

I decided to hop back on the next car and thankfully it left the station right away. As the car pulled away, people in the car sat down and went back to their business. Looking back, I could see people on the platform still rushing out of the station, the kids protesting, arms up against the wall, looking back over their shoulders with eyes as wide as the cops', who were pushing their heads back to face the wall, all the time yelling and gesticulating wildly with guns still drawn. Story Number Three: Another time on the Retiro-Constitucion subway line, I got off the train at Lavalle. As I got onto the platform, I could see two cops had 4 kids against the wall, standing legs apart, hands on the wall. The cops pointed their guns at the kids and were looking around with wide eyed with panicked expressions at about 5 other kids milling around trying desperately to explain something. Once again, I got right back on the train and left that station as fast as I could. I sure didn't want to be there if the bullets starting flying. Story Number Four:

One evening, I was walking along Avenida Santa Fe heading to the Shamrock pub at about 11 PM, just passing Plaza Italia near the Agricultural Exposition when I passed a cop car parked on the side of the road which had two scared looking kids in the back seat. Two mean looking cops were milling around the car with guns drawn and held at their sides. I continued walking looking back a few times, feeling rather sorry for the kids.