Residents of Rio, Brazil, protested the tragic death of jiu-jitsu instructor Jean Rodrigo de Silva, who was shot in the head by police in the parking lot of his own academy earlier this week. An unidentified minor was also hit with bullets, and is currently recovering in the hospital.
Brazilian paper A Voc de Comunidades released video of the police “shootout,” which appears to mostly be law enforcement firing on unarmed civilians during a raid of a the Alemao “slum.” Silva worked in the area teaching jiu-jitsu to disadvantaged children and adults.
Silva, a brown belt and coach at Team Maneco, was described by members of his community as a devoted teacher and enthusiastic competitor. “He does a wonderful job. He was even going to participate in a competition, a Brazilian, in Juiz de Fora,” a friend of the victim told Globo news.
Reports from the area are still forthcoming, but bystanders report he was unarmed at the time he was shot. It is rumored Silva was still in his car when he was shot, but this is unconfirmed.
Police have yet to release a statement about the shooting.
Military police where dispatched to highways near Alemao when protestors began burning items in the street to prevent traffic from making it in or out of the North Rio area. Warnings shots and gas bombs were set off until the crowd eventually dispersed.
