The Military Police remain with reinforced policing at the base of the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) of the Bateau Mouche community, in Praça Seca, west of Rio, because of the attack by criminals early on Saturday (24), with sticks and bricks , in addition to throwing Molotov cocktails at a PM patrol and at the UPP base, which had the front and part of the unit destroyed by fire.
The place has been the scene for several months of confrontation between drug traffickers and militiamen fighting for control of drug sales points in the region. In this attack on the UPP base, the soldiers on duty were cornered and the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE) was called in to control the situation. Less than a month ago, Bope sergeant, Ângelo Rodrigues de Azevedo died from a gunshot in the head, when participating in an operation to locate and arrest the criminals hidden in the dense forest area at the top of the community.
The situation at the site worsened even more because a resident of the community, Jean de Menezes Fernandes, was hit by a glancing gunshot to the head. The victim was taken to the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital, in Gávea, south of the city, and his state of health is considered stable.
The vehicle partially destroyed by fire was removed from the site for repairs. On the same day, Bope’s armored car, known as the caveirão, was also attacked with stones and pieces of sticks, but it did not suffer damage, due to reinforcement of the bodywork.
Reinforcement in policing is done by men from the Jacarepaguá battalion, responsible for policing in the region, and by the corporation’s Shock Battalion.
