Police Officer Killed and Bomb Disposal Specialist Seriously Injured in Oviedo Backpack Blast

On Tuesday, 10 November, a Spanish National Police officer and his explosives detection dog lost their lives when a device hidden in a backpack detonated in Oviedo. A bomb disposal specialist suffered serious injuries. The officers responded to the city's Villafría neighborhood following reports of gunfire at Calle Rafael Urrustí around 7:30am, stemming from a suspected dispute between neighbors. The 17-year-old girl involved in the shooting was hospitalized and declared out of danger.

Upon discovering a suspicious backpack at the building's entrance, police called in the National Police canine unit and TEDAX, their specialized bomb disposal team. Officers moved the backpack to the street to protect residents, but the device exploded at approximately 8:50am as they handled it outside. The officer who died, identified as Juan José and a sub-inspector in the canine unit, was unfortunately killed along with his German shepherd, Deny.

Injured TEDAX officer underwent emergency surgery at the same hospital as the girl. Police cordoned off the area and implemented security checks on routes into and out of Oviedo, searching for the suspect involved in the shooting and the backpack incident. Authorities identified and located the suspect, who was armed, while his partner was detained as part of the investigation. Oviedo City Council announced two days of mourning, and members of the Asturian parliament observed a minute's silence in remembrance.