Five people died in a shoot-out between officers from Jalisco’s Fuerza Unica Regional (FUR, regional rapid response force) and a group of armed men near Jocotepec Thursday afternoon.
None of the deceased were police officers, initial reports confirmed.
The incident occurred on a dirt road leading from the Guadalajara-Morelia highway at El Molino, a village located about three kilometers from the start of the Colima toll road.
Early news reports suggested the FUR officers were fired upon as they investigated a white Toyota Tundra. Five of the armed civilians died in the melee after the officers returned fire. At least four people managed to escape into surrounding fields, reports stated.
Following the incident, police secured two motorcycles, two grenades, five pistols and a pair of rifles at the scene.
Late Thursday, unofficial reports indicated that the FUR officers had been searching for a colleague who had been reported missing from his home in Jocotepec the previous day.
The incident provoked a massive mobilization of police units in the area, including Chapala and Ajijic.