Agent says he was not threatened with a knife
The two PSP agents involved in the pursuit that culminated in Odair Moniz‘s death in Cova da Moura in the early hours of Monday have denied to the PJ that they were threatened with a knife. This news has been reported by TVI and confirmed through a judicial source by Expresso .
The version contradicts the one made public by the PSP later on Monday, which referred to an attempted assault ‘with a bladed weapon’ as the reason for the PSP having opened fire.
The officer responsible for the gunshots has reportedly told the PJ that Odair had a knife, but made no threatening gestures with it. The 43-year-old resisted arrest and there was a physical confrontation that ended in gunfire. Two shots were fired into the air, and two into Odair’s body, who died of his injuries.
Expresso says it has contacted the Public Relations office of the PSP’s National Directorate to discuss this conflict of information, but received no reply.
At a press conference today, the PSP’s deputy national director, Pedro Gouveia, guaranteed that he had nothing to add to what was written by the PSP on the day Odair died: “In the main street of the neighbourhood, when the police officers were approaching the suspect, he resisted arrest and tried to assault them with a weapon, and one of the police officers, having exhausted other means and efforts, resorted to a firearm and shot the suspect, in circumstances to be determined in a criminal and disciplinary investigation.’
According to TVI, Odair Moniz had a record for drug trafficking and bodily harm.
Source: Expresso
