Genocidal assault continues; in Rio Military Police riddle car with 20 bullets and leave five young black males dead

Note from BW of Brazil: Rio. Police. Young black men. Bloodbath. Too often we’ve seen the mixture of these four terms lead to the extinguishing of young black life. Unfortunately, over the weekend, this horrific trend continued. Again we must ask, due to the senseless nature of this crime, one must really ask: Do black lives matter? Perhaps instead of asking this question, we should call this policy for what it is: state-sponsored terrorism of the black population. 

Military Police arrested after murder of five young people in the Complexo da Pedreira

According to relatives of the victims, the agents attempted to alter the crime scene. A video circulated on the internet shows gun that fell close to the bullet-riddled car

By FLAVIO ARAÚJO

Happy with his first salary, the resident of Morro da Lagartixa in Complex do Chapadão, Roberto de Souza Penha, 16, went out with friends to celebrate. They went to the mall where he bought a cell phone, to Parque de Madureira and then returned home. But Roberto didn’t have time to use the device.

A few hours later, he, the brothers Wesley Castro, 25, and Wilton Esteves Domingos Junior, 20; Cleiton Corrêa de Souza, 18, and Carlos Eduardo da Silva Souza, 16, were shot inside the car as they left the community to get something to eat around 1am on Estrada João Paulo (Highway). The Pálio car belonged to Wilton.

Relatives and friends accused four MPs of the 41^st BPM (Irajá) for the killings. They were arrested in the act and will respond to charges of murder and procedural fraud – when there is an alteration of the crime scene. The accused police registered the case as auto de resistência (self resistance) when there is death in a confrontation with police. The Military Police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the fact.

Five young people were shot

“It was an execution. They killed my son and all the colleagues who were with him. I went to Parque Madureira with the boys and I passed by the spot ten minutes before, and shortly after the police did a disgrace like this,” said a tearful Jorge Roberto Lima da Penha, Roberto’s father.

Relatives and friends of the victims say they were innocent. Witnesses said the MPs confused the boys with criminals that they were making a convoy with a truck full of drinks stolen on Avenida Brasil and was being taken to the community. The car had more than 20 bullet holes.

According to Roberto, his son worked in the personnel department of a supermarket in Guadeloupe and was going to school. “When firefighters pulled the bodies from the site, I picked up the phone and identification from my son’s pocket. The device was reset, brand new. My son was very happy with his first job with a carteira assinada (formal work contract). He had just received his first paycheck. My son also did an administration course,” said the father.

According to witnesses, the MPs even planted weapons on the scene. Forensics found a toy pistol and a .38-caliber revolver with two capsules that hadn’t exploded. In a video circulating on the internet, a gun appears fallen near one of the wheels of the shot up car.

Lagartixa residents also accuse the police of preventing help for the victims. “When I arrived, two boys were still clinging to life and the MPs would not let me help. The mother of one of them also got desperate and police said he would kill her if she messed with the car,” said Wesley and Wilton’s aunt, Erika Esteves Domingos.

According to the Civil Police, Cleiton had already had a record for theft and Wesley, for drug trafficking. Family and residents of Lagartixa are planning a demonstration for Monday, on Avenida Brasil, near the community.

Source: O Dia