Brazilian police operation that has killed 16 is revenge for murdered colleague, says human rights groups
Following the death of a military policeman, allegedly at the hands of drug traffickers from Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazilian police began an operation in the area that has resulted in the deaths of 16 people as of August 2.
The operation has drawn criticism and human rights groups are accusing the police of excessive violence and abuse. São Paulo’s state government denies the accusations, and says the goal of the operation is to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.
The case began on July 27 when military police officer Patrick Bastos Reis, from the elite battalion of the São Paulo Military Police, was killed during a routine patrol in a poor community in Guarujá, a city with around 320,000 residents and that has a lot of drug dealing activity because it is close to a ship port.
Another officer was shot in the hand but survived. Police reacted immediately, launching what they called “Operation Shield,” a search bloc of police officers combing poor communities in the area in search of those involved in the policeman’s murder.
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