After death during police action, Paraisópolis has a night of attacks, fire and gunshots

The Paraisópolis neighborhood, in the south of the capital of São Paulo, saw moments of chaos on the night of this Thursday (10). Residents of the community set fire to tires and pieces of wood and closed some streets in the area.

There are also reports that people were shot, including residents and at least one military police officer. But there was no official information about injuries and/or deaths.

Videos circulating on social media show gunshots and a stampede. One of the videos shows a man lying on the ground. So far, however, the veracity of these images has not been confirmed.

Residents of the neighborhood told reporters that they are afraid to go out in the street due to the conflicting information circulating in the community.

Images from TV Globo show a group of people attacking vehicles passing through the area's streets with sticks and stones. During the melee, the group managed to stop one of the cars, pull out the driver, and overturn the vehicle.

According to the Military Police, on Thursday afternoon, teams from the corporation carried out an operation in the community to investigate a report about the presence of heavy weapons in the area, more specifically rifles.

During the operation, according to the Military Police, there was a confrontation with suspects. Three people were arrested, and one person died at the scene after being hit by shots fired by the police. No officers were injured in the operation.

The residents' protests are believed to be linked to this death. Preliminary reports indicate that stores are being vandalized and looted in the area. Residents of Paraisópolis also reported alleged violent police actions to reporters.

The PM says that the following were seized: two pistols, a revolver, seven pistol magazines, two with extensions, drugs, money and cell phones.

In a statement, the Military Police stated that it intensified policing in the Paraisópolis region on Thursday night, due to the ongoing protest that caused road closures and fires.

"The demonstration follows a police operation at the site, which resulted in three arrests and the seizure of weapons, magazines, drugs, money, and cell phones. During the operation, a criminal died after a confrontation with the teams," says the text sent to the press by the corporation.

In addition to local personnel, police officers from other battalions are reinforcing local security. Fire Department teams have also been mobilized.

According to SPTrans, four buses were stopped during the protest while operating in the region and had to be left on the road. In total, 11 routes are experiencing disruptions.