Bahia: more than 200 people have died in clashes with the PM since September 15

Since September 15, when federal police officer Lucas Caribé was murdered by members of a criminal organization, the number of people killed in clashes with the Military Police in Bahia has reached 204. In November alone, at least 34 deaths were recorded.

The numbers are based on a survey carried out by CNN based on data confirmed by the SSP or the Military and Civil Police.

According to the police and the Public Security Secretariat of Bahia (SSP-BA), 201 of the 204 dead were suspected of participating in crimes and shot first at the security agents. Still according to the SSP, all of them were also rescued, but did not resist. In addition to Lucas Caribé, two other victims were military police officers.

The majority of deaths were recorded in Salvador or in cities in the metropolitan region, such as Lauro de Freitas, Eunápolis, Jequié, Camaçari and Simões Filho.

Last Wednesday (29), seven men died in yet another confrontation with the PM.

Average of more than one death per day

With the seven deaths recorded this Wednesday, the total number of deaths resulting from clashes between suspects and the Police this month reached at least 31. On average, approximately one person was killed per day by the Military Police in the state during the month of November.

According to the survey of CNN 59 deaths were recorded in October and 111 between September 15th and 30th, the month in which the wave of violence in the state intensified.

According to data from the Brazilian Public Security Yearbook, four of the five most violent cities in Brazil are in Bahia: Jequié, Santo Antônio de Jesus, Simões Filho and Camaçari. Together with Rio de Janeiro, the two states concentrated, in 2022, 43% of all deaths caused by police officers.

A CNN sought out the government of Bahia to understand what measures are being adopted to combat the wave of violence, but received no response until the publication of this report.

Remember cases of confrontations with death:

November 8th

Four deaths were recorded in three different clashes. In Mirangaba, Jeferson de Jesus Amorim was approached and ended up dead after a confrontation with PM agents during Operation Total Force.

In Salvador, two suspects died in the Fazenda Grande III and IV neighborhoods. Still in the capital, a third man, identified as a drug dealer who displayed himself on social media, died after an exchange of gunfire with the police in the Fazenda Grande do Retiro neighborhood.

9 of November

The following day, two new clashes left three more people dead in Cruz das Almas. Military police returned shots fired by the criminals. According to the PM, they were rescued, but did not resist.

November 17th

A man lost his life in the Alto das Pombas neighborhood, in Salvador, after an exchange of gunfire between a group of individuals and the police. According to the PM, the operation resulted in the seizure of a pistol, a portion of cocaine and 30 pieces of marijuana.

November 20th

The 20th recorded the highest number of deaths by the PM in the entire month of November. According to the SSP, there were nine deaths in two different clashes, both in Salvador.

In the Tancredo Neves neighborhood, six men were injured, rescued and did not resist, according to the version presented by the police. A police officer would also have been grazed.

In São Marcos, three suspected drug traffickers started a confrontation with the police and died.

November 22

In Lauro de Freitas, two men were killed after reacting to an attempted arrest. One of them, Leonardo Guedes Silva Santana, 29 years old, was identified as the right-hand man of the leader of a criminal organization that operates in the Calabar neighborhood.

November 23

Two more deaths were recorded in two different clashes on the 23rd. In Simões Filho, Major Guilherme Borges alleged that an armed group attacked the police during the agents’ actions. After an exchange of gunfire, one suspect died.

In Salvador, Operation Total Force also resulted in a death in the Ceasa neighborhood. In relation to this incident, Major Guilherme Borges stated that armed men fired shots at the police officers who arrived at the scene. Again, one of the suspects was found injured, but did not resist.

November 26th

Last Friday, PM officers were called after reports of gunshots in the Santa Lúcia neighborhood, in Eunápolis. Upon arriving at the scene, they attempted to approach the armed suspects, but, according to the Military Police, the suspects began a confrontation. One of them ended up injured and died.

November 28th

On Tuesday, two more men were killed after clashes in Simões Filho and Salvador. In the capital of Bahia, Rafael Santos Silva, identified as a leader in drug trafficking, resisted the police approach and fired shots at the teams, but died during the exchange of gunfire, according to the SSP.

In Simões Filho, another drug suspect died after a shootout between police and criminals.

November 29th

On Wednesday, seven men died in two different operations. The first, a mega-operation carried out by teams from the Civil, Military and Federal police, aims to execute 20 court warrants against suspects involved in the murder of federal police officer Lucas Caribé.

One of the warrants was against Pablio Henrique Barbosa Almeida, 25 years old. He had convictions for illegal possession of a firearm and allegations of drug trafficking and criminal association. According to the SSP, Pablio fired at the police and was hit.

The other death was confirmed at CNN by the Federal Police, but the suspect’s identity was not revealed.

In Cruz das Almas, five men died during police patrols in the Embira neighborhood. In a forested area, the agents clashed with around ten suspects, half of whom were shot after the police responded.

* Under the supervision of Bruno Laforé