Rigoberto Villarroel

In October 2021, police officer Rigoberto Villarroel was off-duty with his family when he overheard a woman mention the word "police" during a phone call. He approached the woman, who explained that someone was shooting arrows in a nearby store and that she herself had been hit. Initially, Rigoberto thought it was toy arrows, but on his way to the store, he realized they were real steel-tipped arrows.

Without hesitation, Rigoberto entered the store, unarmed and without protective gear, putting himself in great danger. Inside the store, he evacuated several people before being struck by an arrow that penetrated 9 cm into his back. Despite his injuries, he managed to hold off the attacker for several minutes until a patrol arrived on the scene. Even with the arrow still lodged in his back, Rigoberto continued to evacuate people in the immediate vicinity.

His heroic actions and selflessness were crucial in saving multiple lives.