Mossos forensics testify police rubber bullet ricocheted before hitting Roger Español

Forensic findings on bullet trajectory

On Wednesday, 30 September 2026, the Barcelona Provincial Court heard forensic evidence during the third session of the trial of four Spanish National Police officers accused of injuring activist Roger Español during the 1 October 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Three members of the Mossos d'Esquadra Scientific Police Photography and Audiovisual Unit testified that the police shotgunner did not aim directly at Español. According to their visual analysis near the Ramon Llull school, the officer discharged his weapon toward the ground, causing the rubber bullet to ricochet before striking Español in the eye. The Catalan police experts confirmed that while the officer triggered the device three times, only the third shot was loaded with a rubber bullet, with the preceding two firing blank rounds. They also observed that several officers positioned directly in front and to the right of the shooter partially obstructed his line of sight.

The weapon is angled and pointing at the ground.

Distance disputes and expert testimony

The Mossos d'Esquadra estimated the distance between the shotgunner and Español at 14.12 meters, calculating the metric based on the spot where Español fell without using digital measuring devices. Neil Corney of the Omega Research Foundation, an organization that advises the United Nations on security equipment, testified on behalf of the private prosecution and agreed that the projectile ricocheted before impact. However, Corney disputed the operational safety of the shot, stating that the 14.12-meter distance fell short of the standard 25-meter minimum protocol for firing rubber bullets, even if exceptions exist under specific regulations. Corney noted that the officer advanced approximately one meter toward Español just prior to firing, further reducing the gap between them.

Police defense and crowd control arguments

Expert witnesses from the Guardia Civil and the National Police defended the operation outside the Ramon Llull school, classifying the tactical response as appropriate given the circumstances on the ground. Guardia Civil peritos testified that officers faced verbal harassment followed by multiple violent acts from protesters that placed police safety at risk. They argued that units lacked sufficient personnel to clear the gathered crowds through conventional containment alone. According to their assessment, alternating between blank warning shots and rubber bullets served to maintain distance and encourage crowd dispersal rather than cause targeted injury.

Legal claims and amnesty rulings

The public prosecutor has sought a full acquittal for the four defendants (one shotgunner, one inspector, and two sub-inspectors), arguing their actions were justified under the exemption of fulfilling public duty. The prosecution had previously requested amnesty for both the officers and Español, who faced accusations of throwing a metal fence at police lines. While the Barcelona Provincial Court granted amnesty to Español, it denied the measure to the four officers because the amnesty legislation excludes deliberate actions resulting in the loss of a principal organ. Private prosecution entities (including Irídia, the Catalan National Assembly, and Òmnium Cultural) seek prison terms of 12 to 13 years for each officer, comprising nine years for severe bodily injury with organ loss and four years for torture.