Ecuador police officer killed in armed attack at Quinindé station

A police officer was killed in an armed attack at a community police unit (UPC) in the Cube parish of Quinindé canton, in the center of Ecuador's Esmeraldas province, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 17, 2026. The officer, Dey Justin Chang Fernández, an operational technician of the National Police, sustained two gunshot wounds and arrived at the Padre Alberto Buffoni hospital without vital signs, according to the official report from the Esmeraldas Subzone.

According to preliminary information and residents' accounts, a man arrived at the UPC to make an inquiry to the officers present. For reasons that have not yet been clarified, the individual reportedly opened fire on the two policemen and fled. The second officer, preliminarily identified as Sergeant Second Class Jason Tello, was wounded and taken for medical attention.

Following the attack, National Police units launched an operation to locate the suspected gunman. Preliminary information indicated the suspect had taken refuge in a home and opened fire when officers arrived at the site. The man was killed by police during the intervention.

Authorities had not officially confirmed the suspect's identity, the motive, or the exact circumstances of the confrontation. Special units were deployed to the area to support the investigation, which remains open to establish how the attack occurred inside the UPC and to determine corresponding responsibilities.