Man was being ‘pursued in vehicle’ by police
A 43-year-old man was shot dead by police in the early hours of this morning in the problematic neighbourhood of Cova da Moura.
As far as early reports were concerned, the man had rammed various cars in Cova da Moura in his own vehicle, failing to stop. He ended up being “intercepted” by a PSP patrol and “reacted violently” (according to Expresso) – albeit he does not appear to have been armed (see update).
The PSP patrol sent two shots into the air, and fired two in the direction of the suspect, reports CNN Portugal (again see update).
One of these latter shots “hit the suspect in the chest close to his armpit”.
It is not clear from any of these early reports whether the man was shot inside or outside of his vehicle.
He was transported to Francisco Xavier hospital, but died shortly afterwards of his injuries.
A source for the PSP has confirmed the incident, leaving corroborating details for later (see below).
The Cova da Moura neighbourhood has a long history of conflicts, both involving local people with each other, and with the law. Some years ago it was the subject of a damning report by the BBC, entitled “They hate black people”.
UPDATE: SIC Notícias has since taken up this story, and added new details, provided by a statement by PSP police: according to SIC, the man was not only armed, he ‘resisted arrest’.
He was also hit three times by bullets, in the head, chest and abdomen
The incident appears to have taken place just before 6am, having started in Avenida da República, Amadora, with the suspect then “fleeing” towards Cova da Moura, where he ended up “spinning in the road, hitting parked vehicles” and being “immobilised”.
It was at this point that PSP agents were “attacked with a sharp weapon when they tried to arrest the suspect” and thus “resorted to firearms”.
The case will be the subject of a criminal and disciplinary investigation, said the statement: “When police approached the suspect, he resisted arrest and tried to attack them with a sharp weapon, with one of the police officers, having exhausted other means and efforts, resorting to a firearm and hitting the suspect, in circumstances to be investigated during criminal and disciplinary investigation.”
The PSP has also added that PJ judicial police have carried out “procedures to preserve and manage the crime scene were carried out”.
Furthermore “other investigative steps will be taken with PSP police officers and witnesses, to determine the circumstances that led to this occurrence.”
“The Public Security Police regrets the outcome of this incident, sending its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased citizen”, says the PSP.
