A Boy's Killing Stirs Black Lives Matter Protests in Brazil

The minute Rafaela Matos heard gunshots and saw helicopters over her Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, she immediately dropped to her knees to pray. She asked God to protect her fourteen-year-old son, Joao Pedro.

Then she called the boy's phone.

"Be calm," Joao Pedro texted her, saying he was safe in his aunt's house.

Just minutes later, Brazilian police burst through the door and fired their weapons. They shot the teenager in the stomach.

He did not survive the attack. But his parents would not learn that for many hours. Police did not even tell them where there son had been taken.

Joao Pedro Matos Pinto was among 600 people killed by police this year in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. That is almost double the number killed by U.S. police during the same period in America, which has twenty times more people.

‘Teenager after teenager...'

Like Joao Pedro, most of the 600 dead were black or mixed-race and lived in the city's poorest neighborhoods, called "favelas."

The Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor¹'s Office recently described the local police as the "deadliest" in Brazil even though the state, it noted², "is not among the ten most violent states in the country."

As the Black Lives Matter movement brings hundreds of thousands to the streets worldwide, protestors angry about Joao Pedro's death are organizing the largest gatherings³ against police violence in years on the streets of Rio.

Protester Joao Gabriel Moreira said, "They kill teenager after teenager in their homes every day. We're here because we need to be."

Moreira made the comment at a June 10 protest. The 19-year-old civil engineering student added that he had never demonstrated about anything before this year.

"Kill a young black man in a favela, it's seen as normal — he must be a drug dealer," Moreira said. Racism⁴ has always been hidden in Brazil, he said. "That's why so few of us are here. If Brazil had racial consciousness, this street would be filled."

Rio police said they said they were involved in a joint⁵ search operation with military and federal police when they killed Joao Pedro on May eighteenth. A federal investigator⁶ on the case, Eduardo Benones, said no evidence of illegal activity was found at the site of the raid.

Police put Joao Pedro on a helicopter after the shooting. But, they never took him to a hospital. And officials gave no information to his parents about where he was or how badly he was hurt. A social media campaign quickly spread the message that Joao Pedro was missing. His body was found the next day — inside a police forensic⁷ center.

Neilton Pinto is the boy's father. "Good people live in the favela, people with families," he said.

Holding the state accountable

"I'm sure if this were in wealthy areas, police wouldn't act this way, breaking down the house of someone good."

Benones seeks to hold the Brazilian state responsible for the teenager's death. He said witness reports show that Joao Pedro was not a threat. Benones argues the boy died as a result of systemic racism in law enforcement.

"You can't say it's racism of that police officer, but a practice of police forces not taking care when dealing⁸ with the black population."

Both President Jair Bolsonaro and Rio state Governor Wilson were elected on a campaign of strong law and order. Both have said police should be widely protected from legal action when they use deadly force in the line of duty.

The Rio civil police department said that Joao Pedro's death is under investigation⁹ and that three officers have been suspended in connection with the case. Rio's military police did not answer several requests for comments.

On June 5, Brazil's Supreme¹⁰ Court ruled in favor of a ban on police operations in favelas until the coronavirus crisis has ended.

Joao Pedro parents attended a demonstration¹¹ for the first time June 7. His mother said hearing the protesters call out his name helped ease their pain a little.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

knee - n. the joint that bends at the middle of your leg

aunt - n. the sister of your father or mother or the wife of your uncle

forensic - adj. relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes

practice - n. something that is done often or regularly

teenager - n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

consciousness - n. knowledge that is shared by a group of people

prosecutor - n. a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

7 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

11 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。