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A police car in the capital Port-au-Prince in early November
Photo: RICHARD PIERRIN / AFP
The head of the National Police Academy in the Caribbean country of Haiti has been shot dead in a part of the capital Port-au-Prince known for gang crime.
A police spokesman told AFP that Harington Rigaud was "shot in the head" in his car near the academy on Friday.
It's just the latest in a string of attacks on law enforcement, including the killing of police officers.
It was not immediately known who was responsible for Rigaud's murder.
The attack happened in a neighborhood controlled by gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent.
He is wanted by the US because he is accused of involvement in the kidnapping of 16 US missionaries.
US authorities have offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his capture.
The Caribbean country, which has been plagued by poverty, political crises, violence and natural disasters, has not been able to rest for years.
The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, coupled with a severe earthquake the following month, further exacerbated the country's problems.
The country is also currently battling a cholera outbreak.
According to the UN, the Haitian police have around 13,000 officers - that's about one policeman for every 1,000 inhabitants.
That's not enough for the fight against gang crime.
Last month, Haiti asked for international help to deal with the country's security crisis.
sak/AFP/AP