🔗 Share this article

The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the consequences of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how local people returned with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the security measures were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the community, explained he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He described that evening, area inhabitants began to search the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence show the reaction of those present.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the grief of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to preventing an illegal organization called Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in the country, together with another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, gold, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the situation worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse