Latin America

Judi Lynn

(160,644 posts) Tue Mar 12, 2019, 04:04 PM Mar 2019

Arrests in Marielle Franco killing, Rio police in spotlight

Peter Prengaman and Anna Jean Kaiser, Associated Press Updated 11:37 am CDT, Tuesday, March 12, 2019

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police on Tuesday arrested two former police officers in the killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, a brazen assassination that shocked Brazilians and sparked protests in several countries.

. . .

"It was a crime against a lawmaker, a woman, exercising her democratic function and had her life taken away through in an unacceptable, criminal way," Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel told reporters. "It's unacceptable to any human being, but this was even more unacceptable because Marielle was exercising parliamentary duties."

While Witzel praised police and investigators for the arrests, the case highlighted deep corruption in police forces, including connections to militias, paramilitary groups that control large swaths of the state.

The suspects were identified as Ronnie Lessa, a 48-year-old retired officer, and Elcio Vieira de Queiroz, 46, who was expelled from the force in 2015 for reasons authorities did not explain. Lessa was arrested at his residence in the same upscale condominium complex where President Jair Bolsonaro has his home, authorities said.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Brazil-police-2-men-arrested-in-killing-of-13681500.php#photo-17057959

Fascist cops would probably make good political assassins.

Editorials and other articles:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016228327

3 replies

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Arrests in Marielle Franco killing, Rio police in spotlight (Original Post) Judi Lynn Mar 2019 OP

thank you for keeping us updated on the investigation. niyad Mar 2019 #1

So vile they murdered her and her driver, and one is a Bolsonaro neighbor. What a shock, right? n/t Judi Lynn Mar 2019 #2

Two Former Cops Were Arrested In Connection With The Murder Of A Brazilian Politician Judi Lynn Mar 2019 #3

niyad

(113,600 posts)

1. thank you for keeping us updated on the investigation.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue Mar 12, 2019, 04:10 PM

Mar 2019

Judi Lynn

(160,644 posts)

2. So vile they murdered her and her driver, and one is a Bolsonaro neighbor. What a shock, right? n/t

Reply to niyad (Reply #1)

Tue Mar 12, 2019, 04:18 PM

Mar 2019

Judi Lynn

(160,644 posts)

3. Two Former Cops Were Arrested In Connection With The Murder Of A Brazilian Politician

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue Mar 12, 2019, 05:01 PM

Mar 2019

The arrests come after nearly a year after the murder of Marielle Franco, a queer politician known for her support for minorities and criticism of police violence.

Tatiana Farah
Repórter do BuzzFeed News, Brasil

São Paulo
Posted on March 12, 2019, at 4:14 p.m. ET

Two retired police officers were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the high-profile murder last year of a Brazilian politician known for her criticism of police violence.

Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco was killed last March when a driver pulled up alongside her car and shot her in the head several times. Anderson Pedro Gomes, her driver, was also killed in the attack, while her press officer, Fernanda Chaves, survived the shooting. It was reported at the time that at least two people were involved in Franco's murder.

Retired Sgt. Ronnie Lessa, 48, and former police officer Élcio Vieira de Queiroz, 46, were both taken into custody early Tuesday. According to police, Lessa was allegedly the gunman in the attack while Querioz acted as the driver. Lessa is accused of using a German submachine gun, used exclusively by the police in Brazil, in the attack, while Queiroz was caught watching Franco's movements the day of the attack. The two men reportedly knew each other prior to the attack.

Police accused the two of demonstrating a high degree of sophistication in planning the attack, which reportedly involved three months of trailing Franco, using pre-paid cell phones to communicate, and having previous knowledge of Franco's movements, as well as insight into the location where the ambush would occur.

More:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tatianafarah/marielle-franco-brazil-murder-arrest-former-police

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