Rousseff mourns death of student shot in São Paulo

Criado em 29/10/13 17h11 e atualizado em 29/10/13 17h12
Por Danilo Macedo Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília – President Dilma Rousseff used her Twitter account on Tuesday (October 29) to mourn the death of student Douglas Rodrigues, shot to death on Sunday (October 27) by a military police officer in the city of São Paulo: “At this time of grief, I offer my condolences to family members and friends. Like Douglas, thousands of other young black people from the suburbs are made everyday victims of violence. Violence against the suburbs is Brazil’s starkest manifestation of unequality.”

According to the Federal Police, they had been called on Sunday afternoon (October 27) to deal with a public nuisance incident in a neighborhood nearby. After they arrived, they found a group of people assembled near a car playing loud music. After leaving his car to start an inquiry, the officer accidentally pulled the trigger. A law suit was filed against him and he was arrested in flagrante delicto. The officer will answer a charge of manslaughter (causing somebody’s death without planning to do it).

Since early in the morning on Monday (October 28), a number of protests have been staged over the young man’s death. The Fernão Dias highway, which connects São Paulo to five neighboring cities, was closed. Also, buses and trucks were burnt.

Edited by: Nádia Franco / Lícia Marques
Translated by: Fabrício Ferreira