They arrested 10 soldiers who killed a civilian in Rio de Janeiro: they shot more than 80 times and gave another version

The Brazilian military authorities on Monday ordered the arrest of 10 soldiers belonging to a contingent which, the day before, fired more than 80 bullets against a vehicle in Rio de Janeirokilling one man and wounding two other people.

Evaldo dos Santos Rosa, 51, who worked as a musician and security officer, he was driving a vehicle with his familyhis injured father-in-law, his wife, his 7-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter who came out safe and sound. A pbader-by who tried to help was also hit by shots.

The incident occurred in the district of Guadalupe, north of Rio, in the security perimeter of a military zone where troops were conducting "regular patrols," reported the news agency. army.

In first communication, released Sunday after hearing the initial statements of the soldiers of the events, the army had reported that the attack had occurred in response to shots fired at the army.

However, Monday, the army acknowledged the presence of "inconsistencies" in the statements given by the soldiers involved in the event.

"Because of the inconsistencies identified between the facts initially reported and other information subsequently received by the East Military Command, the immediate suspension involved soldiers who were sent to the military judicial police station to collect individualized testimonies ", according to the statement issued by this commando. after listening to the statements of the people involved "signed the order of the prison" of 10 of the 12 soldiers involved.

The widow of Santos Rosa claims that after the first shot, she asked for help to the soldiers, but they continued to shoot.

"Why did the barracks do that?" The neighbors came to our aid but they continued to shoot. I asked one of them: "Good God, help my husband!" They did not do anything, they made fun of it, "said Luciana Nogueira on local television

"All indications are that the military really confused the car with a bandits vehicle. But in this vehicle was a family. No weapons were found (inside the car). All determined that it was a normal family, of good, who ended up being a victim of the army, "said the Commissioner of the Civil Police, Leonardo Salgado, in statements to the program Fantastic Sunday evening.

Commissioner of the Homicide Division of the Civil Police (CP), Leonardo Salgado, said Sunday night on Globo television that in the musician's vehicle "no weapon was found". "I do not see any signs of self defense, because of the number of shots," he added.

Military justice investigation
The civilian police conducted an on-site investigation, but it is now conducted by the military justice, according to a law pbaded in 2017.

The army has participated in recent years in the fight against crime in Rio and has even moved from February to December 2018 in front of the security zone of this state overwhelmed by violence.

The NGO Rio de Paz has manifested his "repudiation"to the procedure of military detainees and demanded a demonstration of the presidency, to which the armed forces ultimately depend.

"Despite all the good services rendered by the armed forces during ostentatious patrols in the state of Rio, the Rio de Paz NGO is asking the whole society Calls on the authorities, in particular those of the Ministry of Defense, to be rigorous in investigating the facts"

Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain who took office in January, did not immediately report on this episode.

The new governor of Rio, Wilson Witzel, promised, when taking office, to implement an uncompromising policy against crime, in a speech to the one of Bolsonaro.

Witzel admitted at the end of March that the police used snipers to shoot gunmen from a distance.

According to government statistics, 305 people were killed by police in Rio in January and February 2019, the first two months of his tenure in Witzel. This represents an increase of 17.6% over the same period of 2018.

Some of these cases have raised questions about police methods.

On February 8, a police operation in a favela in the tourist district of Santa Teresa left 13 dead and, according to the Office of the Public Defender, raised suspicions that it was an accident. summary execution.

(With information from EFE and AFP)