Rio police mistake elite bope officers for criminals
A BOPE veteran died and five officers were wounded when Rio police teams exchanged gunfire after mistaken identification in Jacarepaguá on 11 October By Governo do Rio de Janeiro/Marcelo Horn, CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

Rio police teams exchanged gunfire in Jacarepaguá, Brazil, early on Sunday 11 October, killing an elite BOPE officer and wounding five others after officers mistook colleagues for criminals, according to the state military police.

BOPE officers had been stopping a car when colleagues from the 18th Military Police Battalion encountered them on a dark street. The force's account, reported by G1 and O Globo, described battalion officers mistaking the stop for a crime and opening fire.

A Veteran Among the Rio Police Casualties

Sub-lieutenant Gláucio Marcelo Fonseca da Silva, 54, died in the shooting. He left three children and would have completed 26 years with the state military police in December, according to a note from BOPE's commander.

Four other BOPE officers and a member of the 18th Battalion were wounded. All six officers struck by gunfire were taken to Lourenço Jorge municipal hospital in Barra da Tijuca. O Globo reported that Gláucio arrived dead.

The hospital reported that two officers underwent surgery and were stable, while two others were discharged after assessment.

Gláucio's family had already lost another BOPE officer. His brother, Third Sergeant Heber Carvalho, was killed in October 2025 during the police mega-operation in the Penha and Alemão favela complexes.

G1 described that earlier raid as the deadliest in Rio's history, with more than 120 people killed. In its condolence note, BOPE stated that Gláucio had dedicated much of his life to 'the mission of serving and protecting', and offered sympathy to his family and friends.

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Darkness and Confusion in Rio Police Accounts

The teams encountered each other on Rua Guilherme Moreira, near the Gardênia Azul community, in the Beco do Saci area of Rio de Janeiro's West Zone. The 18th Battalion covers Jacarepaguá, while BOPE is the state military police's special operations unit.

Battalion officers had received reports of armed men in the street before arriving, G1 reported. Early police information cited by O Globo referred to armed men near a white Kia Sportage. A battalion corporal was hit during the exchange.

Reports also raised the possibility that each side mistook the other for Comando Vermelho traffickers. That detail remains unconfirmed.

After a priority radio call, additional teams arrived, including an armoured vehicle and two BOPE cars, O Globo reported. A photograph published by G1 depicted a battalion patrol car struck by several shots.

The clash occurred near hotels in Barra da Tijuca, in a city that is a major destination for foreign visitors. Two lanes of Avenida Ayrton Senna were briefly closed at around 6:30am.

The US State Department lists Brazil at Level 2, advising visitors to 'Exercise increased caution'.

Rio Police Face Separate Investigations

The state civil police's Homicide Division, known as DHC, is investigating Gláucio's death. The military police's internal affairs office is conducting a separate inquiry through its 2nd Military Judicial Police Station.

The investigations leave several questions unanswered. Although police said battalion officers opened fire after mistaking the vehicle stop for a crime, investigators have not publicly established the full sequence of gunfire or disclosed the number of shots.

Whether the units had informed each other about their patrols also remains unresolved. Police have not announced whether any officer will face charges.

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