13-year old Igor Cordeiro Manhães was murdered by Military Police in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro
As I have reported on this blog previously, the lives of young black males in Brazil are at constant risk. Due to the alarming rate of the violent extermination of young, black Brazilian male, this problem has been labeled for what it is: genocide. According to Mário Lisboa Theodoro, the Executive Secretary of the Politics of the Promotion of Racial Equality (Seppir), today in Brazil, a young, black male is killed every 25 minutes, a rate similar to a country at war. So what does the international community have to say about this?
Five military police officers are removed from street duty after the death of a teenager in Duque de Caxias
Witnesses accuse military police of killing the 13 year old with 4 shots; on Wednesday, the victim’s mother met with the Head of Civil Police.
by G1 RJ
The command of the 15th Battalion in the city Duque de Caxias (in the state of Rio de Janeiro) suspended a lieutenant and four officers from street duty until the Military Police Investigation determines that the circumstances of the death of 13-year old student Igor Cordeiro Manhães. The information was released by the military police on the afternoon of Wednesday (28). The boy died early on Monday (26) and, according to witnesses, the crime was committed by military police. Igor was hit by four rifle shots.
The command of the 15th Battalion in the city Duque de Caxias (in the state of Rio de Janeiro) suspended a lieutenant and four officers from street duty until the Military Police Investigation determines that the circumstances of the death of 13-year old student Igor Cordeiro Manhães. The information was released by the military police on the afternoon of Wednesday (28). The boy died early on Monday (26) and, according to witnesses, the crime was committed by military police. Igor was hit by four rifle shots.
Family photo of Igor released in celebration of her aunt, hours before dying
The military police reported that the accused police will remain limited to internal service. Also according to the PM, all arms of the officers have already been handed over to criminal investigators for analysis and ballistic tests.
Meeting with Head of Civil Police
On Wednesday, the family of Igor met with the Chief of Civil Police, Martha Rocha. They were asking for rigor and transparency in the investigation of the crime. The relatives took photos of the crime scene, with bullet holes and blood stains, and the collected shells.
To the chief Claudio Vieira, of the 59th Precinct (Duque de Caxias), responsible for investigating the crime, Igor was the victim of an execution.The relatives of the students were to meet with the Head of Civil Police accompanied by the chairman of the Human Rights of OAB-RJ (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro or the Brazilian Lawyer’s Guild) Margarida Pressburger, and the President of the OAB-RJ, Wadih Damous.
Igor’s family released photos that show the boy attending the 40th birthday party of an aunt moments before he died. According to relatives, it’s not true what the Military Police said about Igor participating in a funk dance when he was hit by gunfire.
Family gives testimony
Before meeting with the delegate Martha Rocha, the family testified at the 59th Precinct of the city of Duque de Caxias. The mother told police she left the party accompanied by her son, around 1am on Monday (26). At home, she said she had forgotten her work sandals and asked that the boy go back and get them.
A few minutes after Igor left many shots were heard. Neighbors gathered 18 shells of only one type of weapon – a 7.62mm caliber rifle. The teen’s mother said she heard that he had been shot and went after him. Near the scene of the crime, she also ran into two groups of military police.
“My son was shot in the arm, the back, leg, the back, two shots in the back and he still had the strength to walk at most 20 meters to ask for help and my friends for helped him. They said he was alive”, recalled his mother.
Igor’s mother, Mônica
Igor Manhães was in the 7th grade of the Colégio Estadual Irineu Marinho (Irineu Marinho State School), in Duque de Caxias (state of Rio de Janeiro).
Military police testimonies
On Tuesday (27), Civil Police heard the statements of three police officers. According to the police, there was a police operation in the Complexo da Mangueirinha in Duque de Caxias. Police Battalions of Duque de Caxias and São João de Meriti were on location.
Igor’s funeral and burial
The investigators wanted to hear the testimonies of 23 military police who were in the operation in the early hours of Monday (26).
The 15th Batalhão de Polícia Militar (Military Police Battalion or BPM) of Duque de Caxias and 21st Batalhão de Polícia Militar of São João de Meriti had an operation on site where they said shots were fired in their direction. According to the police, Igor was leaving from a “baile funk (funk dance)*”, but neighbors deny this report, according to RJTV. They say the boy was at a party hosted by his aunt. Witnesses said the crime was committed by military police.
Family and friends at Igor’s funeral
“There was no confrontation because I was present at this party, I was there with my family, I am a personal friend of the family, you understand, and the military police, unfortunately, acted erroneously,” said a witness who declined to be identified. On the following day (27th), dozens of family and friends attended Igor’s funeral and burial.
Mourners at funeral
The case was registered as homicide two hours after the boy’s death, but the criminal investigators only completed it 12 hours later. According to investigators, the site had not been preserved by the police.
According to the Civil Police, the criminal investigators delayed because the team could only enter the community with the support of the Coordinator of Special Resources (Core) that was on an operation in Vila Vintém, in Padre Miguel. The Military Police declined comment on the information that the crime scene had not been preserved.
* – Bailes Funk, or Funk Dances, are attended by young people of Rio de Janeiro and are sometimes associated with violence and Rio’s drug kingpins. By trying to connect Igor with these dances, this may have been the cop’s way of trying to paint Igor as a person involved in criminal behavior.
* – Bailes Funk, or Funk Dances, are attended by young people of Rio de Janeiro and are sometimes associated with violence and Rio’s drug kingpins. By trying to connect Igor with these dances, this may have been the cop’s way of trying to paint Igor as a person involved in criminal behavior.
Source: G1 Globo
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I believe it (removed 1rst post bcus it didn't apply,…about prison incarc in US…). It seems to be escalating everywhere tho…Are there any nonprofits working on this? Keep up the good fight.