Mexico: Police flee from armed gang in Sinaloa state

Police in Mexico have been criticised after a video emerged of them fleeing a gang of armed criminals who later went on to commit a murder.

The two officers, who it is believed were arrested following the emergence of the video, are seen running to their car in Sinaloa state, before a group of armed men emerge from a house with someone believed to be a kidnap victim, Latin Correspondent reported. It is thought the victim was then shot, as gunfire can be heard in the video, while screams believed to be from the victim's family can also be heard.

A woman shouts: "They are going to kill him", as a man believed to be 27-year-old Elias Constantino is seen being dragged onto a truck.

The video has caused much debate in Mexico, where the officers have been criticised for fleeing the scene by many, but were said by Latin Correspondent to have been praised by local mayor Bonifacio Bustamente who commended them for leaving due to a lack of firepower and police backup.

Violent crime is not uncommon in the Sinaloa state, where one of the country's most dangerous gangs, the Sinaloa Cartel – which is thought to be one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world – originates from. No arrests have been made in connection with the murder as yet, with the indentities of the gang members involved currently unknown.