A police chase in Costa da Caparica, Almada, today ended with six people arrested and one injured.
The suspects did not respect a police order to stop at the entrance to a roundabout, which led to the shots being fired.
This latest incident in a borough that has been in the news for multiple shootings in the last week – and over the recent past – is understood to have resulted from a police operation targeting suspected burglars in the Greater Lisbon area.
The suspects will have been aware of the police on their tail, which is presumably why they did not ‘respect’ the orders to stop.
Observador online explains that the Spanish-plated van in which seven people were travelling “ended up being immobilised, as the driver was shot”.
It is not clear from reports which agents fired the shots. Observador refers to the PSP having requested the support of the GNR, due to this being “an area of responsibility of that security force”.
A GNR source told Observador that ‘at a certain point, near the roundabout, the suspects did not obey orders given, putting the physical integrity of one of the officers at risk, which is why shots were fired’. Thus, this suggests the shots came from the GNR side.
SIC has carried a video of the moment where shots were fired.
The driver was shot in the leg, says the online, and later transported to Hospital Garcia de Orta.
At the scene, as well as GNR police and local firefighters, were members of the PJ (judicial police). The PSP is expected to give an update on this incident, and the wider investigation, later today.
Sources: Observador/ SIC
