Hernán Abelardo Lefián Rodríguez died that day at 6:55 hours at the Hospital de San Bernardo due to perineal, pelvic, and lumbar spinal trauma caused by a bullet; secondary osteomyelitis and leptomeningitis, as certified by the Medical Death Certificate from the Legal Medical Institute.

According to information obtained from the judicial proceedings, on October 21, 1988, at approximately 4:00 hours, Carabineros officers carried out a police operation in the Villa Angelmó sector in San Bernardo, a commune south of Santiago, with the objective of arresting the alleged perpetrators of a robbery.

During the pursuit of one of the suspects, an officer fired several shots, striking Hernán Lefián, who was in bed at his home. This injury subsequently caused his death.

The events were judicially investigated by the Fourth Military Prosecutor's Office of Santiago, and the case is currently dismissed.

In the administrative investigation conducted by Carabineros, the officer who fired the shots was sanctioned with eight days of arrest for having used his firearm without taking into account its power and without anticipating the consequences that the shots could cause, as he did not adopt an appropriate shooting position to ensure they were effectively aimed into the air.

Considering the evidence gathered and the investigation conducted by this Corporation, the Superior Council declared Hernán Abelardo Lefián Rodríguez a victim of human rights violations by State agents who made reckless use of force.