Haiti police exchange fire with troops at protest

Off-duty Haitian police officers exchanged fire with members of the newly reconstituted Haitian army in front of the national palace in Port-au-Prince on Sunday in protests over police pay and working conditions. It wasn't clear which side began firing first. Protests began on Wednesday, after five police officers were fired when they tried to unionize - a proposal that Haitian President spoke against.

Haiti's police force has received extensive training and support from the United Nations, but officers complain that a months-long stand-off between the President and his opposition has strained resources to make already poor working conditions unbearable. The President reformed the Haitian army in 2017, promising that the military would patrol Haiti's borders, assist in natural disasters and avoid domestic affairs.