By Newsfeed/Reuters
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – At least eight people died when police raided a drug-scarred Rio de Janeiro neighborhood on Monday, amid a sharp jump in police killing of suspected criminals in the state that underlines the tough new security measures favored by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
The raid began around 11 AM, according to local media reports, and triggered a massive shootout between police and suspected gangsters. TV images showed a police helicopter hovering overhead as the gun battle emptied out local schools, with pupils fleeing through the streets.
In a statement, Rio’s civil police said the operation was aimed at detaining Thomaz Jhayson Vieira Gomes, known as “3N”, a suspected drug baron.
“There was resistance from the criminals and eight suspected traffickers were shot and killed in the confrontation,” the statement said. “Three others were taken to the police station, including one of 3N’s personal security guards and 3N’s wife.”
The number of people in Rio state killed by police hit a quarterly record of 434 during the first three months of 2019, up 18 percent compared with the same period last year. The first-quarter tally was the highest since state records began in 1998, and comes as the number of statewide murders has fallen.