A carabiniere was killed at dawn by gunshots during a control activity in the industrial area of Francavilla Fontana, in the province of Brindisi, in the Rosea district.
The victim is a brigadier serving in the Francavilla Fontana company, Carlo Legrottaglie . The prosecutor on duty, Raffaele Casto, is on site.
The Carabinieri patrol that included Carlo Legrottaglie intervened after a report of a robbery at a petrol station on the outskirts of Francavilla Fontana . The two Carabinieri aboard the 'gazzella' intercepted the robbers' car, a dark-coloured Lancia Y. At the sight of the soldiers, the criminals fled and the soldiers chased them. The two cars rammed each other until they had to stop, after touching each other several times, in the surrounding countryside. The robbers - reportedly at least three - got out of the car and split up. Legrottaglie chased one of them who fired several shots at the sergeant, killing him. Legrottaglie managed to return fire and one of the robbers was also injured .
The criminals, who later fled, have already been arrested. One of the two, who had barricaded themselves in a farmhouse
between Grottaglie and Martina Franca, is seriously injured.
Today would have been Legrottaglie's last day of work: starting tomorrow he would have gone on leave and then, in July, he would have retired. His colleague is in shock.
(Online Union)
