Sao Paulo: A civil police officer co-piloting a helicopter was shot in the head on Thursday during an operation in Rio de Janeiro, authorities said.
The officer was part of a raid targeting a criminal gang involved in van thefts in the city’s western region. He was taken to a local hospital. While local media reported he was in critical condition, police have not confirmed this. The helicopter, providing air support, did not crash, and the other pilot was unharmed. Though criminals often fire at police helicopters, there are no recent records of an officer being shot. To obstruct Thursday’s raid, barricades were erected to block officers from entering the working-class community, or favela, local outlet G1 reported.
Rio police criticised an ongoing Supreme Court case that has led to restrictions on raids in favelas. The case requires police to justify
armed operations.