[gatagato]

A video showing Brazilian police spraying a Rio de Janeiro slum with gunfire from a helicopter while in pursuit of a drug trafficker has raised concerns about law enforcement tactics in the country.

The video, which was recorded on May 11th, shows police pursuing convicted drug trafficker Márcio Pereira, widely known as Mathematician, through the shanty down Favela da Coréia.

The New York Times reports that a police officer in the video can be heard saying “It looks like him, right?”

“That’s right; it looks like him,” another officer responds. After the exchange, a figure gets into a car. When it begins to move, an officer can be heard screaming "Get it!" at which point the police helicopter opens fire, striking both the car and surrounding buildings with what appears to be heavy weaponry.

Despite the huge onslaught of firepower, Britain's Daily Telegraph reports that Pereira escaped after the car was brought to a halt, and was found dead in a parked car the following day.

The footage aired for the first time Sunday on Brazilian TV station Globo.

Adonis Lopes de Oliveira, the helicopter's commander, told Globo that "The street was largely frequented by traffickers," when asked about the risk posed to residents by the seemingly unrestrained gunfire.

Brazil's favelas, or shanty towns, are reportedly home to 12 million people, and have long been associated with drugs--particularly cocaine--and violent crime.

Claims of police brutality in favelas are nothing new; police in Rio and São Paulo police have allegedly killed more than 11,000 people since 2003.

The slums will be in the world spotlight when Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2014, and the Olympics in 2016.

These massive events have prompted huge investment in Brazilian infrastructure. But there have also been accusations that police are using violence in poor areas as a pretense to forcefully "clean up" the country before foreigners arrive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/wo...s-concern.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...e-Janeiro.html
http://g1.globo.com/rio-de-janeiro/n...z-policia.html

The helicopter's commander has been suspended until the end of the investigation.

[Desensitisation]

What the fuck did they think they were doing? Playing a computer game? Fucking idiots. They could have killed civilians left right and center with that retarded gunfire.

Fucking Mexicans...

[jesse_shelby500]

mexicans???? Dude, do you even read the title?? Shooting Of Marcio Pereira, Drug Lord, Raises Concerns About Police Tactics [Brazil], Police Video............................. BRAZIL is no where near Mexico idiot.

[kellyhound]

this footage could easily be mistaken for iraq/afghanistan footage if it wasn't for the spanish speaking pilot . it's a fucking warzone. cops shooting when they think they see a suspect and putting bullets in other people's homes. crazy.

[noknok]

portuguese thay are speaking portuguese not spanish...

[LERK]

this is typical for brazil and mexico isn't it.

[LERK]

except they have a cool helicopter instead of two gays on a motorbike.

[Dp4sho]

Pacification at its finest

[ALBARRAN85]

THIS WHOLE COUNTRY IS FUCKED UP! JUST LIKE THE REST OF THESE STUPID COUNTRIES THAT DON'T HAVE PROPER LAW ENFORCEMENT.

[Desensitisation]

Originally Posted by jesse_shelby500 ↗

mexicans???? Dude, do you even read the title?? Shooting Of Marcio Pereira, Drug Lord, Raises Concerns About Police Tactics [Brazil], Police Video............................. BRAZIL is no where near Mexico idiot.

Brazilian, Mexican... they all eat fucking tacos and most of them are ****. And fucking retarded with their firearms.