Bricklayer Killed by Police in Rio’s Vila Kennedy; Protest Blocks Traffic on Av. Brasil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A man was killed on Tuesday morning, September 3rd, while working on a rooftop in Vila Kennedy, a community in Rio’s West Zone. The victim is bricklayer José Pio Baía Junior, 45, nicknamed “Juninho”.

In a video shared on social media, a man who identified himself as the owner of the establishment where José worked said the bricklayer was shot while “raising” the roof over the Varandão bar, located at the intersection of Ghana and Ethiopia streets, approximately 50 meters from Avenida Brasil.

The residents are accusing the state police of shooting the bricklayer. According to reports, four MPs (State Police) and a car were in the favela when a shootout erupted. José was shot and, according to residents, was not rescued by the police.

Videos, shared in a chat app, show residents accusing an unidentified state police officer of having fired the shots.

The department reported that there was a 14th Precinct (Bangu) operation in the community near the Avenida Brasil, when the agents were targeted by armed criminals. According to the State Police, a battalion vehicle was struck.

Soon after, the police were informed that a man had been injured and the command of the 14th BPM ordered a team to head to Hospital Municipal Albert Schweitzer to verify the occurrence.

According to reports from a resident to the G1 news site, José had already made renovations to several houses in Vila Kennedy. When he was hit, the bricklayer was preparing to erect another floor on the boarding house he had been working on for about three months.

People close to the victim said that when he was shot, Joseph was holding nails and a hammer. The bricklayer also sold roast chicken on Sundays in the Sacolão da Vanuza.

Joseph was shot around 10 AM. By 3 PM, relatives and friends were still waiting for Civil Police experts to come to the scene.

In a statement, the Capital Homicide Precinct (DH) reported that an inquiry had been launched to investigate the circumstances of José Pio Baía Junior’s death.

In the morning, reports on social media already advised about shootings in the community.

State government says agents were attacked

In a statement, the state government stated that it “laments the death of innocent victims in police actions”. “The operations carried out by the police, with the main goal of locating criminals and seizing weapons and drugs, are guided by information from intelligence and follow strict protocols of execution, with a concern for the preservation of lives. All deaths resulting from the intervention of public officials are investigated. If any abuse is proven, penalties are applied as provided by law,” the government added in the text.

“It is important to point out that the police action on Tuesday, September 3rd, was aimed at fighting vehicle and cargo theft on Avenida Brasil, and was not an offensive on Vila Kennedy. Upon returning to the 14th BPM Precinct, located within the community, the police were targeted by criminals and there was a brief clash,” concludes the note.

Around 12 noon, residents blocked Brazil Avenue, near Vila Kennedy, and protested against the bricklayer’s death. Shortly before 1 PM, the protesters set fire to a bus on the street.

At 1:30 PM, both directions of Avenida Brasil, near the community, were cleared, but there were roadblocks along the lanes.

RioÔnibus issued a note rejecting what it described as an act of vandalism against buses of the 770 line (Campo Grande x Coelho Neto), on Avenida Brasil.

“The bus burnt by criminals was completely destroyed by the flames and will not operate again, it is one less collective transport serving the population,” says the text.