Authorities in Rio de Janeiro say they won't change hardline policing methods after an 8-year-old girl was allegedly killed by a stray police bullet.
Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel said Monday that his administration is "on the right track" with its shoot-to-kill policy for officers who see an armed suspect.
Witzel said he was saddened by the death of Ágatha Sales Félix, who was shot in the back Friday while riding in a van in a Rio slum.
Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel, right, speaks to Institutional Relations Secretary Cleiton Rodrigues during a press conference concerning the death of an 8-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. Ágatha Sales Félix died Friday after she was shot in the back while riding in a van in the Complexo do Alemao slum. (AP PhotoSilvia Izquierdo)
The girl's family says a local police unit was responsible for her death. Police acknowledge that officers in the area used their firearms in response to attacks, but have not said whether a police bullet killed the girl.
An investigation is underway.
Rio de Janeiro Gov. Wilson Witzel pauses as he gives a news conference concerning the death of an 8-year-old girl in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. Ágatha Sales Félix died Friday after she was shot in the back while riding in a van in the Complexo do Alemao slum. (AP PhotoSilvia Izquierdo)