Brazil: 14 Dead in Sao Paulo Police Operation in Retaliation Over Killing of Officer

After a police officer in Sao Paulo, Brazil was killed, the Brazilian state's police force employed a deadly raid in retaliation. They used lethal force, with the death toll reaching 14. This made many citizens question why police used such deadly tactics.

Last week, an officer who was part of Sao Paolo's elite squad was killed, and this raid was aimed at the people blamed for the homicide.

Initially, Sao Paulo Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas stated that 10 people died as a result of that raid. However, the next day, on Tuesday, the tally of dead reached 14.

The Associated Press noted that the new numbers would "make the raid the most deadly in Brazil's most populous and wealthiest state since 2006."

The elite policeman who was killed was Patrick Bastos Reis, who was shot dead on Thursday. The raid to capture or kill those responsible for his death is done statewide, and de Freitas noted that it will continue until August 28.

De Freitas is an ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro and is also known for his far-right policies. He praised Sao Paulo police and said he is proud of them despite critics saying that the loss of lives was too much.

"Those who decided to turn themselves in were arrested," said the governor, who is often seen as Bolsonaro's heir. He also confirmed that most of the casualties happened during a raid in the beachfront city of Guaruja, located in southern Sao Paulo state.

Complaints of Excessive Violence Flood Sao Paulo Officials

Around 600 members of the Sao Paulo civil and military police were deployed when the operation started last Friday, and reports indicate that it could continue a lot longer. However, human rights organizations pointed out the excessive use of force.

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State Police Ombudsman Claudio Aparecido da Silva acknowledged the complaints, which did not just come from human rights defenders but also the residents of Guaruja. An investigation has already been launched regarding these alleged violations, according to TeleSur.

The main suspect who killed Officer Bastos Reis has already been caught, though the complaints indicated that Sao Paulo police officers are torturing and killing "everyone." The complaints also indicated that the police "promised to murder 60 more people in various favelas of the city."

Elite Sao Paulo Officer Killed by Marksman Hired by Drug Traffickers

El Pais reported that Sao Paulo police officer Patrick Bastos Reis, 30, was only patrolling along a neighborhood in Guaruja, Sao Paulo state, on Thursday, July 27, when he was killed by a shot fired from the top of a favela.

Police reports indicated that the man who fired the shot was "an elite marksman who worked for a drug-trafficking organization." He was arrested on Sunday after the police launched the massive operation that also killed 14 people.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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