At least 12 people are killed as gunfire is reported across city, highlighting fears of public security crisis

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Just months after hosting the Olympics, the west zone of Rio de Janeiro resembled a war zone this weekend as a police helicopter crashed amid shootouts and execution-style murders that left at least 12 people dead.

Gunfire was reported in half a dozen locations across the city, highlighting fears of a public security crisis worsened by budget cuts, striking police, a change of government and uncertainties over the future of the favela “pacification” policy.

The worst clashes occurred in and around the Cidade de Deus (City of God) favela, a few miles from the Olympic Park, which just three months ago was celebrating the success of the local judoka Rafaela Silva in winning Brazil’s first gold medal.



On Saturday, however, the community echoed with the sound of gunfire as gangs and police fought their deadliest battle in several years, which started at 7am and continued through the night.



One mobile phone video shows a police helicopter flying low over the favela as a volley of shots rings out. A voice says: “We brought the eagle down” amid cheering. Other clips show the helicopter crashing and locals staring at the wreckage.

The state government said four officers were killed in the crash, the cause of which is under investigation. Initial reports suggest none of those on board was hit by bullets.

Following the downing of the helicopter, extra military police flooded into the Cidade de Deus, arresting four residents and seizing weapons.

Soon after, seven bodies of local young men were found, some of whom appeared to have been murdered in execution-style killings. Residents blamed police for indiscriminate extra-judicial retribution. There are also claims that they were killed in fights between gangs.

The public security office of the state government did not respond to the Guardian’s request for a response to these allegations.

The police operation is ongoing and residents in parts of the Jacarepaguá region have been warned not to leave their homes.

If it is proved that the police helicopter was brought down by gunfire, it would be the first time it has happened in Rio since 2009.

Over the following few years, the city’s security situation briefly improved thanks to the favela “pacification” policy, a stronger economy and changed policing priorities (such as giving rewards for low crime rates rather than killings of “traffickers”).

These gains, however, are disappearing as a result of budget cuts, late payment of wages and reports of police violence. There were 3,649 reported murders in the first nine months of this year, up 18% on the same period in 2015.

Public security experts warn that the police could now be returning to the repressive tactics of the past.

According to Amnesty International, police are responsible for 2,500 deaths in the past seven years. Human Rights Watch says one-fifth of all killings in the city are carried out by police. Three-quarters of the victims are black men.

Funerals will be held on Monday for the four officers who died in the helicopter, along with a military policeman who was shot in the operation in Jacarepaguá region.