Brazil politician, Bolsonaro ally refuses arrest, injures police after firing rifle
By Bruna Prado & Mauricio Savarese The Associated Press
Posted October 23, 2022 8:36 pm
A Brazilian politician attacked federal police officers seeking to arrest him in his home on Sunday, prompting an hours-long siege that caused alarm and a scramble for a response at the highest level of government.
Roberto Jefferson, a former lawmaker and an ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, fired a rifle at police and threw grenades, wounding two officers in the rural municipality Comendador Levy Gasparian, in Rio de Janeiro state. He said in a video message sent to supporters on WhatsApp that he refused to surrender, though by early evening he was in custody.
The events were stunning even for Brazilians who have grown increasingly accustomed to far-right politicians and activists thumbing their noses at Supreme Court justices, and comes just days before Brazilians go to the polls to vote for president.
The Supreme Court has sought to rein in the spread of disinformation and anti-democratic rhetoric ahead of the Oct. 30 vote, often inviting the ire of Bolsonaro’s base that decries such actions as censorship. As part of those efforts, Jefferson was jailed preventatively for making threats against the court’s justices.
More:
https://globalnews.ca/news/9220995/brazil-politician-bolsonaro-ally-roberto-jefferson-refuses-arrest/
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A close ally of Bolsonaro is suspected of having thrown grenades at police officers
Post date
October 23, 2022
- Former Congressman Roberto Jefferson is suspected of throwing grenades at two police officers who came to arrest him at his residence on Sunday.
- Jefferson, who has long been a close ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, has been a central figure in Bolsonaro’s election campaign. Next Sunday there are elections in Brazil.
- One of the police is reported to be very seriously injured.
https://nord.news/2022/10/23/a-close-ally-of-bolsonaro-is-suspected-of-having-thrown-grenades-at-police-officers/
