According to the woman who cared for him, Matapacos simply knew when there was a protest going on and went out to join it (granted, in Chile that's every other day). And while he never actually killed any cops, we're pretty sure he caused more than a few to reconsider their calling. Matapacos passed away in 2017, reportedly leaving 32 pups (we're assuming he died of sexual exhaustion) ...
... but that was only the start of his legend. During Chile's 2019 social upheaval, Matapaco's image emerged as a symbol of defiance against state-sponsored brutality. He's since popped up in everything from murals to sculptures to comic books to full body suits to, of course, crocheted stuffed animals.
And now, that legend is spreading to other countries. Matapacos tributes have been appearing in places like Japan, Mexico, and New York, where stickers with his image were used to promote mass fare evasions following police repression. He's basically a cute animal representation of the lyrics of a certain N.W.A. song by now.
Back to Chile, Matapacos' spirit lives on in "El Vaquita" ("Little Cow"), a stray dog in the northern city of Antofagasta who never misses a protest or a march. Unfortunately, enacting your constitutional right to protest in a country like Chile means ending up with a shitload of rubber pellet wounds all over your body, and that goes for adorable cow-looking dogs too. And since El Vaquita refused to be taken to the veterinary's office, the people of Antofagasta organized a fake march leading there: