Patrol turns into Molotov attack
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — AP videographer Pierre-Richard Luxama said he was filming a tactical police patrol in Haiti’s capital on Jan. 20 when gang members attacked, setting an armored police vehicle’s roof on fire with Molotov cocktails.
Luxama described that after the attack began, smoke filled the vehicle and spread quickly. He said police told the crew to breathe very slowly while the armored car continued along the patrol route.
Fire, retreat, and civilians running with water
Luxama said the officers returned fire and the gang members ran away. He said the armored vehicle then returned to base, and civilians and police officers sprinted over to help put out the flames by throwing water on the roof.
Luxama also described the minutes after the vehicle reached the police base, saying people ran around as they panicked at the sight of the burning roof.
“It was scary,” but he said he stayed calm
Luxama said the experience felt scary, but that training and experience helped him manage his response. He said staying calm allowed him to think about what should come next, adding that panic would not be helpful.
He said he tried to remain still and slow his breathing so the burning smoke would not get inside his body. He later recounted how long it took for the vehicle to reach the base, describing it as about seven or 10 minutes.
Images from an emptied city
In recounting what he filmed the day after the attack, Luxama described images that he said may stay with him. He cited an image of a severed arm and leg tied to an electrical wire hanging in front of an abandoned and looted store, as well as streets covered with trash and buildings with missing doors and windows.
He said residents had emptied neighborhoods out of fear of a “powerful gang,” and he described a sunny day in which he saw nobody on the street. Luxama said he could hear birds rather than everyday city sounds, describing the streets as empty of tap-taps, passengers, and motorcycles.
Gang control and symbols
Luxama said he saw Haitian flags placed atop a gang barricade made from twisted metal along with an old oven and fridge. He said the area was controlled by Viv Ansanm.
He also said he remembered a policewoman taking a selfie inside the armored vehicle while they were under attack.
A country where violence pushes people and journalists away
AP reported that gang violence has displaced 1.4 million people in recent years and that at least 5.7 million Haitians are at the crisis level, with 1.9 million facing emergency levels of hunger.
The AP account also said journalists in Haiti are under attack like never before, as they dodge bullets to document the breakdown of the capital. It said that during gang attacks last year, police officers were pulled from broken-down armored vehicles and killed, and that grisly videos of the killings circulated on social media.