Brother criticizes self-defense verdict that cleared police officers of woman’s death: ‘I had a cup of coffee and a cigarette in my hand’ | Rio de Janeiro

Brother of woman killed and dragged in police car 10 years ago criticizes decision that exonerated police officers

“They are claiming it was self-defense. But self-defense from a cup of coffee and a cigarette? Would that cause harm to a police officer at a distance of 8 meters, 10 meters? It wasn’t a sharp curve, there weren’t any drug dealers on the hill, there weren’t any criminals on the hill. The police spent the whole night on the hill, so that’s no excuse”, criticized the brother.

The police responded for murder and for removing Cláudia’s body from the scene.

In the decision, judge Alexandre Abrahão Teixeira, of the 3rd Jury Court, states that the police officers shot drug dealers and incurred “execution error”.

“The accused acted in self-defense to repel the unfair aggression caused by the criminals, making an error in the execution, affecting a person other than the intended one”, wrote judge Alexandre Abrahão Teixeira.

According to the brother, when taking Claudia to the hospital, the police were asked about her injuries.

“When they arrived at the hospital and were asked why her body was like that, they said they didn’t know that they had already found her shot inside the community. If they shot themselves, helped them, how come they didn’t know, how did her body arrive disfigured like that?”

At the time Cláudia was hit, the police were exchanging shots with drug traffickers in Morro da Congonha, in Madureira, in the North Zone of Rio.

The decision acquits Captain Rodrigo Medeiros Boaventura, who commanded the patrol, and Sergeant Zaqueu de Jesus Pereira Bueno. Denounced for the removal of Cláudia’s body from the scene, sub-lieutenants Adir Serrano Machado and Rodney Miguel Archanjo, sergeant Alex Sandro da Silva Alves and corporal Gustavo Ribeiro Meirelles were also acquitted.

The police officers, at the time, were assigned to the 9th BPM (Rocha Miranda).

In the same case, the magistrate decided to take drug trafficker Ronald Felipe dos Santos, who is on the run, to the jury. The criminal exchanged gunfire with the police, according to investigations.

Cláudia was 38 years old, was the mother of four children and raised four nephews. She was a general services assistant.

An amateur cameraman recorded the moment she was dragged (the video was published by the newspaper “Extra”) and, because of this, it was suspected that the injuries on the asphalt could be the cause of death. The death certificate, however, states that she was killed due to “cardiac and pulmonary laceration from a transfixing wound to the chest caused by piercing-cutting action”, that is, due to the gunshot.

Death certificate of woman dragged in police car indicates death by gunshot