Criminal Justice
US lawyer accused of fatally shooting 2 environmental protesters in Panama
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A man shown in a video arguing with environmental protesters in Panama before allegedly shooting and killing two of them has been identified by local media as a retired U.S. lawyer.
Kenneth Darlington, 77, who holds dual U.S. and Panamanian citizenship, was arrested in Panama on Tuesday, report the Daily Beast, the New York Post, WION, Fox News and the Independent. Some reports say he was also a professor.
The video shows the man walking up to protesters blocking the road, arguing with protesters, taking a gun out of his pocket and trying to remove blockades on the road. According to reports cited by the Independent, the man allegedly shot two of the protesters after some people taunted him, saying, “Why don’t you shoot,” and, “Are you going to kill someone?”
The two demonstrators who were killed were teachers.
According to a TVN report cited by the Independent, the man walked back to his car after the shooting. A female companion called the police, according to the report.
The protesters object to a Panamanian agreement with a Canadian company to continue operating a copper mine in an “environmentally sensitive” area.
