Natives of Rio de Janeiro's poorer neighbourhoods hit the streets in hundreds on September 21 following the unfortunate death of an eight-year-old girl who was shot by a stray bullet during a police operation. The girl Agatha Sales Felix was killed in the Complexo do Alemao favela on Friday. Brazilian Police claimed that it was an unanticipated shoot-out with suspected criminals. Yet locals put the blame on the security forces.

On Saturday, hundreds of residents shouted "Justice! Justice!" while rallying for the girl.

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Brazilian Police speaks on the shoot out

On the other end, officials have confirmed her death and opened an investigation into the incident. Speaking on the incident the Police said that they were standing in a corner when they were attacked from various directions. As a result, they retaliated. There were no reports of other people being injured or arrested during the incident.

However, the Complexo do Alemao residents blamed Felix's death on police.

"There was no shoot-out when Agatha was hit. We know the atrocities that are happening here," said Renata Trajana, a local.

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Encounters and killings soar in Brazil under Witzel's Presidency

It is observed that police killings in Rio de Janeiro state have soared under Governor Wilson Witzel's watch. According to Rio's Public Security Institute, about 1,249 people were killed in the first seven months of this year which is a 16 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2018. The lethality in Rio has reached its highest level since 2003. Of which, there were 225 deaths by stray bullets last year and more than 100 so far this year, the monitor told AP last month. Meanwhile Amnesty International has slammed the eight-year-old's death, saying Rio's authorities had failed to fulfil their constitutional duty to protect a unique and fragile life. They added that Rio's Governor should prevent and combat violence intelligently, taking into consideration that all lives matter. 

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The decrease in crime rate

On the flip side, homicides by criminals have fallen by more than 21 per cent in Rio under Witzel's governorship, according to the ISP. Witzel claimed to slaughter the unlawful while he assumed his position. He even shrugged off police killings by calling it normal as criminals are being hit hard. It was his tough stance on crime which gained him his position despite being unknown in Brazilian politics.

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(With inputs from Associated Press)