Brazilian police raid in Rio slum leaves 25 dead, authorities say

[Judi Lynn]

At least 1 officer, 2 dozen others died after being shot during Thursday's operation, according to police

The Associated Press · Posted: May 06, 2021 7:07 PM ET | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Police targeting drug traffickers raided a slum in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday and at least one officer and two dozen others died after being shot, authorities said.

The civil police's press office confirmed the death of the cop and 24 alleged "criminals" in a message to The Associated Press.

A police helicopter flew low over the Jacarezinho favela as heavily armed men fled police by leaping from roof to roof, according to images shown on local television.

One woman told The Associated Press she saw police kill a badly wounded man she described as helpless and unarmed whom they found after he had fled into her house.

More:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brazil-rio-deadly-police-raid-1.6017148

[Judi Lynn]

1. Rio police draws international ire as 25 killed in drug gun battle

13 minutes ago

At least 25 people were killed in a shootout between suspected drug traffickers and police in Rio de Janeiro, one of the state's deadliest police raids, police said.

People targeted in the raid today in the poor Jacarezinho neighborhood tried to escape across rooftops as police arrived in armored vehicles and helicopters flew overhead, television images showed. The firefight forced residents to shelter in their homes.

The victims included one police officer, and the remainder were suspected members of the drug-trafficking gang that dominated life in the slum, including some of its leaders, police said.

It was the deadliest single police operation in 16 years for Rio state which has suffered for decades from drug-related violence in its numerous favelas.

The bloodbath prompted criticism from human rights groups including Amnesty International, who lambasted the police for the "reprehensible and unjustifiable" loss of life in a neighborhood mostly populated by Black and poor people.

More:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/442076/rio-police-draws-international-ire-as-25-killed-in-drug-gun-battle

[Shell_Seas]

2. That's not what happened at all.

It's been all over Tik Tok, the whole thing. The people have been protesting because the government was rationing food and water, the police were the aggressors. There are multiple videos of them chasing people down the street and shooting at them. It's bad.

[Demovictory9]

3. Ugh

[Judi Lynn]

4. Thanks for this information. Bolsonaro hates poor people, people of color, progressives.

Hope he and his allies will be stopped, somehow.