Eight people were killed Friday in a long-running exchange of gunfire between police and drug trafficking suspects in a Rio de Janeiro favela in Brazil, police said.
Dozens of police officers surrounded the Vila Cruzeiro favela in the northern part of Rio around 5 in the morning (local time), with an arrest warrant for a person accused of drug trafficking. However, an exchange of gunfire ensued, which lasted almost three hours. Eight people were killed, but their details have not been released.
“The operation was a success. “We are saddened by the deaths of eight people who could have been arrested but who did not obey the orders of the police to stop and resist,” said Rio Police Special Forces Lt. Col. Uira do Nascimento Ferreira.
According to him, the police failed to arrest the wanted drug trafficker Chico Bento, who is still on the run.
The exchange of gunfire caused panic in the favela, at a point where shops and schools in the area were closed.
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