08/12/2023 – 18:04
A 17-year-old teenager and a 5-year-old girl were shot dead this Saturday morning, the 12th, after actions by the Military Police on Ilha do Governador, in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro. Residents claim that both cases had direct action by the agents, but the corporation says that there was no operation where the child died – she was hit inside her own house, in the Dendê Community.
The cases occur less than a week after a 13-year-old teenager was killed, also in a police operation, in the Cidade de Deus region, in the west zone of the Rio de Janeiro capital. A survey by the NGO Rio da Paz points out that the number of cases of children and adolescents, up to 14 years of age, killed by firearms has risen to 101 since 2007.
The press office of the State Secretariat of Military Police states that, in this Saturday’s cases, a team from the 17th Military Police Battalion (Ilha do Governador) tried to approach two men on a motorcycle, on Rua Paranapuã, on Ilha do Governador.
According to the police officers who acted in the action, the 17-year-old passenger who was on the back fired at the team, and there was retaliation. The suspect was injured and rescued by the Fire Department at the Evandro Freire Municipal Hospital, but could not resist. The man riding the motorcycle was taken to the 37th DP in order to provide clarification.
Shortly after the incident, a group of demonstrators set fire to a bus on Rua Paranapuã. According to them, the young man would not have shown resistance during the approach. In the face of the protest, the Battalion of Rounds and Crowd Control (Recom) was called in support, in addition to the Fire Department to contain the flames.
It was at this moment that the girl would have been hit by a stray bullet inside her own house, in the Community of Dendê. The State Secretariat of the Military Police states that the command of the 17th BPM was informed about the case, but says that there was no police operation inside the community.
“It’s a child who had her sister’s birthday yesterday. He was happy, joking, everything”, she told the NGO Voz das Comunidades Roseli Passos, the victim’s cousin. “Unfortunately, this morning she wakes up to play and, while playing, on top of her bed, she is shot with a rifle.”
“The unit’s command instituted an investigative procedure to verify the conjuncture of the actions and the corporation’s Internal Affairs monitors the procedures. Footage from the police officers’ body cameras will be made available to assist in the investigations,” said the secretariat.
The folder also stated that the commander of the 17th BPM was removed from the administration of the unit “in order to give greater smoothness and transparency to the investigation of the facts regarding the actions that took place this Saturday morning”.
In a note, the Civil Police states that the Capital Homicide Police Station (DHC) has been called and is investigating the deaths of the child and teenager. “The agents are in diligence in search of witnesses and other information to clarify the dynamics of the facts”, said the folder.
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