14 DAY TRIAL // A video captured in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro raises concern on public safety and police brutality as officers in a helicopter chase down a known drug lord.
Law enforcement officers shoot from the chopper after getting a clear shot at the suspect's vehicle. The clip, shot with night vision cameras, has been attached below this news article.
The officers in the helicopter pump a lot of rounds into the street and nearby residential buildings before getting the suspect to stop the car.
According to New York Daily News, they were chasing after known drug cartel leader Marcio "The Mathematician" Pereira. Pereira has been one of the city's most high-profile drug trafficking leaders for years.
The clip was shot in May 2012, but was made public by a national TV show on Sunday, May 5. The footage has drawn a lot of negative criticism, as officers might have endangered the public thus abusing their power by shooting into the neighborhood.
"This image leads us to admit that there could have been a disproportionate action," Martha Rocha, heading Rio's Civil Police force, says.
The pilot, Adonis Oliveira explained that the chase took place during night time, but they had IDd Pereira.
"Although the picture is taken at a very long distance and at night, we felt sure that it was The Mathematician," he says.
The suspect managed to escape on foot after stopping the vehicle but was found dead in a parking lot, in another vehicle, the next day.
Oliveira defended his team by arguing that, although they couldn't see exactly who was driving the car, they were sure that they were shooting at Pereira.
While the public claims that "excessive force" has been used in the pursuit, Brazilian police have not launched an investigation into the matter at this point.
