By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) Captain is dead after being shot on Thursday, September 11th during a confrontation between police and drug-trafficking suspects in Complexo do Alemão, one of the largest favela communities in Zona Norte (North Zone) of Rio de Janeiro.
Uanderson Manoel da Silva, Captain of the Nova Brasília UPP, was shot in the chest around 5:30 PM during the confrontation. Silva was taken to Hospital Estadual Getúlio Vargas.
The 34-year old captain succumbed to his injuries there and died in the hospital’s operating room. An eleven-year veteran of the Military Police, Silva took command of Nova Brasília UPP only three months ago.
According to the CPP (Coordinating Pacifying Police), the shootout occurred when armed men fired on officers who were patrolling an area of Complexo do Alemão known as Largo do Vivi and the officers then retaliated. The suspects later fled, reportedly leaving behind 58 bags of cocaine, ten rocks of crack and two bikes.
At the time of this report, the suspects remain at large but the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) are searching area to locate the shooters.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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