Brazilian police say protesters beat up officer, stole his service pistol
Posted October 26, 2013 12:30 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SAO PAULO – Law enforcement officials say protesters beat up a police colonel and stole his service pistol and radio during a Friday night demonstration demanding lower public transportation fares in Brazil’s largest city.
The Sao Paulo state police department said in a statement posted Saturday on its website that the demonstration turned violent when so-called Black Bloc anarchists shattered store windows and destroyed ATM machines, turnstiles and other installations at one of the city’s biggest bus terminals.
The statement said about a dozen protesters attacked Col. Reynaldo Rossi, knocked him to the ground and broke his collarbone.
Police have not recovered Rossi’s .40-calibre pistol or his radio.
Anger over the cost of poor public transportation services has helped fuel massive protests that have hit several cities since June.
