Two police officers and one civilian died after their car was allegedly pushed off a cliff by a members of an indigenous community in the south Mexico state of Chiapas.

According to El Universal, a mob of Tzotziles, an indigenous group, forced the victims’ vehicle over the edge of a 200-meter gorge.

The violence reportedly took place after the police arrived at the San Cristobalito community, in the San Andres Larrainzar municipality, to arrest a suspected criminal.

The suspect sought the protection of the community, and the officers were detained and beaten for several hours. State officials said that the group then allowed the officers to get into their vehicle, before pushing it over the cliff.

One survivor was rescued by a group of firefighters, and transported to a nearby hospital after sustaining serious injuries from the 200-meter fall.

As InSight Crime has noted, there are a number of semi-autonomous communities in Chiapas, which reject state bodies for their perceived corruption.

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