Dominican Police Chief Accused Over Deaths

Dominican lawyers have asked prosecutors to investigate the national police chief over deaths that police labelled as shootouts, and none of the allegations has been proven.

A group of Dominican lawyers filed a formal criminal complaint on Wednesday 21 October 2026 against the head of the National Police. The complaint, lodged in Santo Domingo, concerns deaths that were labelled alleged exchanges of gunfire, according to Diario Libre, Listín Diario, Hoy and El Nacional.

The Dominican Republic is a major US tourist destination and home to a large diaspora in the United States. Any dispute over policing there therefore draws attention well beyond the island.

What We Know

The lawyers filed a querella at the National District Prosecutor’s Office in Santo Domingo, according to the four Dominican outlets. It names Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García, the director of the National Police. Diario Libre, Hoy and Listín Diario add that officers of the Central Investigation Directorate, known as Dicrim, are also targeted.

Lawyers named in the reports include Carlos Balcácer, Cándido Simó and Valentín Medrano. Spellings and the full list vary slightly between outlets.

Reports mention prosecutor Carlos Vidal as receiving complaints from victims’ families. According to Diario Libre, the lawyers say they will go to court if the prosecutor does not respond.

All four outlets are Dominican, and each reports the filing on the same day. We rely on their accounts and have not seen the complaint itself.

In Plain English

A querella is a formal criminal complaint submitted to a prosecutor. Dicrim is the Central Investigation Directorate of the National Police.

A chain of custody is the documented record of who handled a piece of evidence, and when. Medical examiners are the officials who examine a body to establish how a person died.

An alleged shootout, in Spanish an “intercambio de disparos”, means a death is described as happening during an exchange of gunfire. A complaint is an accusation, not a finding, and no court has ruled.

What the Lawyers Allege

According to Diario Libre, Hoy and El Nacional, the lawyers say the deaths were labelled alleged shootouts without following protocol. They also say there is no chain of custody for the weapons said to have been used.

The lawyers add that crime scenes were not properly documented and that medical examiners were not awaited. These are the lawyers’ claims, and none has been tested in court.

“We are not defenders of criminals … we advocate for respect for life.”
Lawyer Valentín Medrano, as quoted by El Nacional

Hoy reports that the lawyers cite camera recordings from the west zone. They say the footage shows Dicrim officers collecting shell casings and removing evidence.

El Nacional quotes a lawyer as saying: “If 200 exchanges occurred, there must necessarily be 200 weapons.” Diario Libre quotes a lawyer saying “this will not end here” and that the group has videos and photographs of Dicrim officers involved in what he calls executions.

Diario Libre reports that the complaint invokes crimes against humanity and unlawful executions. Those terms are the lawyers’ framing, and no court has examined them.

What Is Not Known

The reports do not agree on how many deaths are involved. El Nacional says the complaint concerns 87 deaths in alleged exchanges of gunfire.

Diario Libre and Hoy say the lawyers put the figure at more than 200 young people killed by police agents. We cannot reconcile the two numbers, and we do not state a time period.

None of the four reports includes a response from the police or the government. No court has ruled, and every allegation remains unproven.

It is also not known whether the prosecutor will open an investigation. The reports do not say how the officers named will respond.

What It Means for Travelers and US Readers

The Dominican Republic draws many US visitors, and many people in the United States have family ties to the island. Travellers should follow official advisories, as they would for any destination.

The reports describe a legal complaint, not any change to travel rules. Police use of lethal force is a sensitive public issue in many countries, and here it now sits before prosecutors in the capital.

The next step to watch is whether the prosecutor acts on the complaint. Until then, the claims and the numbers behind them remain open questions.

Earlier coverage includes Dominican Police Deny Kill Order After 55 Deaths and Dominican Republic Police Killings Top 180 This Year. For background, see Dominican Republic Security and Crime Explained 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the complaint against the Dominican police chief?

Lawyers filed a querella, a formal criminal complaint, on 21 October 2026 against Major General Ernesto Rafael Rodríguez García and several Dicrim officers. It concerns deaths in alleged exchanges of gunfire, and the allegations are unproven.

How many deaths does the complaint cover?

El Nacional reports 87 deaths, while Diario Libre and Hoy say the lawyers cite more than 200 young people killed by police agents. The figures have not been reconciled.

Have the police responded?

None of the four Dominican reports we reviewed includes a police or government response. No court has ruled.

What is Dicrim?

Dicrim is the Central Investigation Directorate of the National Police. Several of its officers are named in the complaint, which is unproven.