A police officer was killed in Oviedo, Spain, on Tuesday morning, November 10, 2026, when a device inside a backpack exploded after a shooting in the Villafria neighbourhood. The officer was a sub-inspector in the National Police Special Canine Guides Unit. He died after approaching a partly open bag left in the entrance of a building. A second officer, a TEDAX explosives specialist, was seriously injured in the same blast and was taken to hospital. A 17-year-old girl had been injured by gunfire earlier that morning and was also taken to hospital. She is out of danger. Police are searching for a 65-year-old man who fled the scene.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 |
| Place | Villafria, Oviedo, Asturias, northern Spain |
| First incident | Shots at about 7:30am after a dispute between families |
| Girl injured | A 17-year-old girl, injured by gunfire, taken to HUCA, out of danger |
| Backpack found | Partly open backpack in a building entrance on Calle Rafael Urrusti, with a light blinking inside |
| Explosion time | About 8:40 to 8:50am |
| Officer killed | Sub-inspector, National Police Special Canine Guides Unit, named as Juan Jose |
| Officer injured | TEDAX explosives specialist, seriously injured, taken to HUCA, in a serious condition |
| Suspect | A 65-year-old man with an extensive police record for ordinary crimes, who fled and could still be armed |
| Motive | Police sources said a terrorist motive had been ruled out for now, and the link between the shooting and the explosion has not yet been established |
| Official response | Oviedo city council decreed two days of official mourning, and the police union JUPOL confirmed the death |
What happened on Tuesday morning in Villafria
At about 7:30am, neighbours in Villafria reported shots after a dispute between families. Officers moved in to secure the area, to find out what had happened, and to check who might still be at risk. A 17-year-old girl was injured by gunfire. She was taken to the Central University Hospital of Asturias, known as HUCA, where doctors confirmed that she is out of danger. That was one small piece of reassurance on a morning that soon became much worse.
The backpack on Calle Rafael Urrusti
After the shooting, officers found something that changed the nature of the operation. In the entrance of a building on Calle Rafael Urrusti, they found a partly open backpack. Inside the bag, a light was blinking. That detail told the officers at the scene that this was not an ordinary abandoned bag. A blinking light inside a partly open bag is a clear warning sign, and the officers acted on it by calling for specialist help rather than handling the bag themselves.
The National Police TEDAX bomb disposal specialists were called in. TEDAX is the unit that deals with explosive devices, and its officers are trained to assess a suspicious object and to carry out the work needed to make it safe. The officers on the ground did not try to move the bag, open it further, or guess what was inside. They secured the area around it and waited for the specialists. The shots were reported at about 7:30am, and the explosion happened at about 8:40 to 8:50am. During that hour, the backpack remained in place while specialists were brought in.
The officers who responded
The explosion happened as a sub-inspector from the National Police canine unit approached and inspected the bag. The officer who died was a sub-inspector in the National Police Special Canine Guides Unit, named by the force as Juan Jose. He was an adult, and his name is public record from the police statement. His death was confirmed by the police union JUPOL, and the National Police expressed its consternation at the death and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery.
A TEDAX explosives specialist was seriously injured in the same blast. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that he suffered the amputation of a leg. He was taken to HUCA and remained in a serious condition. That report shows how serious the blast was. The officer now faces a long recovery, and the wish for a speedy recovery reflects the concern of colleagues across the force, and of the wider public in Oviedo and across Spain.
Some early reports suggested that a police dog had died, but the careful sources confirm only the death of the officer. This article does not repeat that unconfirmed claim.
The search for the suspect
Police sources told Spanish media that the suspect is a 65-year-old man with an extensive police record for ordinary crimes, who fled the scene. Police are searching for him and have said that he could still be armed. That warning matters for residents in Oviedo and for officers carrying out the search, because it means that the man should not be approached by members of the public and that anyone who sees him should contact police. The police have not named the suspect in the verified reporting used for this article, and this article does not name him.
The man is described as having an extensive police record for ordinary crimes. That wording points away from a political or terrorist background. Police sources said that a terrorist motive had been ruled out for now, but that does not close the investigation, and it does not explain the motive behind the shooting and the explosion. The area was cordoned off while the investigation continued.
What officials said
The Oviedo city council decreed two days of official mourning, a formal mark of respect for the officer who died. It gives the community a shared way to mark the loss, and to show support for the family of the officer and for his colleagues in the National Police.
The National Police expressed its consternation at the death and wished the injured officer a speedy recovery. The police union JUPOL confirmed the death. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the opposition People’s Party, commented on the incident, showing that it was noted at a national level as well as in Oviedo and in Asturias.
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What is still unclear
Several important questions remain unanswered, and it is right to state them clearly rather than to pretend that the full picture is known. The first question is the link between the shooting and the explosion. Investigators have not yet established that link, and until they do, it would be wrong to present the two events as a single planned act. They happened on the same morning, in the same neighbourhood, and they involved the same area and the same police response, but the connection between them is still being investigated.
The second question is the motive. Police sources have said that a terrorist motive had been ruled out for now, but they have not given a motive for the shooting or for the placing of the device. The motive may become clear as the investigation proceeds, or it may remain unclear until the suspect is found and questioned. Until then, this article does not invent a motive.
The third question is the condition of the injured TEDAX specialist. He was taken to HUCA and remained in a serious condition, and El Mundo reported that he suffered the amputation of a leg. That is a serious injury, and his recovery will take time. The fourth question is the search for the suspect. Police are searching for a 65-year-old man who fled the scene and who could still be armed. The police have not given a timetable for the search, and it would be wrong to guess when it will end. The device itself is also part of the forensic investigation, and its type and how it was triggered have not been described in the verified reporting used for this article.
FAQs
What happened in Oviedo on November 10, 2026
A shooting was reported at about 7:30am in the Villafria neighbourhood after a dispute between families, and a 17-year-old girl was injured by gunfire. Later that morning, a device inside a backpack exploded on Calle Rafael Urrusti, killing a National Police sub-inspector and seriously injuring a TEDAX explosives specialist.
Who was the police officer who died
The officer who died was a sub-inspector in the National Police Special Canine Guides Unit, named by the force as Juan Jose. He died after approaching and inspecting the partly open backpack in which the device was found. The police union JUPOL confirmed his death, and the National Police expressed its consternation at the loss.
What is known about the injured officer and the injured girl
A TEDAX explosives specialist was seriously injured in the blast, was taken to the Central University Hospital of Asturias, and remained in a serious condition. El Mundo reported that he suffered the amputation of a leg. The 17-year-old girl injured by gunfire was also taken to the same hospital and is out of danger.
Is a suspect being sought, and has a motive been found
Police are searching for a 65-year-old man with an extensive police record for ordinary crimes, who fled the scene and could still be armed, according to police sources. Police sources said that a terrorist motive had been ruled out for now, and the link between the shooting and the explosion has not yet been established by investigators.
SOURCES
Final Thoughts
The death of a police officer on duty is a loss that is felt far beyond the scene where it happened. In Oviedo, the loss is marked by two days of official mourning, by the condolences of the National Police and of the police union, and by the concern for the injured TEDAX specialist who remains in a serious condition. The injured girl is out of danger, which is a relief, but she was hurt in a violent incident that should never have happened. The search for the suspect continues, and the investigation into the link between the shooting and the explosion continues with it. The officer who died was doing the work that police officers do every day, approaching a risk so that others would not have to, and his death is a reminder of the cost of that work.
