Brazil’s president denounces ex-lawmaker for opening fire on police

By Bala Chambers

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Brazil’s incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro denounced a former lawmaker Sunday for engaging in a gun battle with federal police agents who were attempting to arrest him.

Earlier in the day, former lower house deputy Roberto Jefferson wounded two officers who were carrying out a court order by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for his detainment for verbally attacking Carmen Lucia, another top court justice, in a video posted on social media.

The incident comes a week before a second round presidential runoff vote on Oct. 30 between Bolsonaro and opposition candidate and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The shooting took place when officers arrived at Jefferson's home in Comendador Levy Gasparian municipality, where he has been under house arrest since 2021.

According to the local news outlet Globo, Jefferson resisted arrest, opening fire and launching three grenades, with shrapnel wounding two officers.

During the attack, he also used two fusil guns against the officers, who returned fire.

In addition, a reporter from TV Globo affiliate Inter TV was assaulted by supporters of Jefferson and Bolsonaro in Comendador Levy Gasparian.​​​​​​​

Rogerio de Paula, 59, was punched, fell to the ground, and hit his head and was taken to the hospital, where he is undergoing tests.

Bolsonaro took to social media and repudiated Jefferson's remarks against Lucia and denounced his actions against federal police.

"I ordered the Minister of Justice to go to Rio de Janeiro to follow the progress of this regrettable episode," Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter.

According to Agencia Brasil, Jefferson had failed to adhere to the measures imposed against him while under house arrest, which included not posting on social media after he made threats against a number of the country's institutions, including the Supreme Court.

According to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, "during the investigation, the target of the warrant reacted to the arrest order announced by the federal police."

In a statement published on Twitter, the ministry confirmed that two officers were wounded during the incident, received medical care and have since been discharged from the hospital, saying they are "doing well."

Globo reported that Jefferson turned himself in following the attack and insists that he did not shoot at police but at their "car" and "near them.”