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In an unsuccessful effort to thwart his arrest, a former Brazilian lawmaker with connections to President Jair Bolsonaro fired and tossed grenades at police officers, wounding two of them, according to officials. Roberto Jefferson’s armed assault was promptly denounced by Mr. Bolsonaro, who also distanced himself from the former lawmaker and referred to him as a “bandit.”
After Mr. Jefferson violated the conditions of his home imprisonment by calling Supreme Court Justice Carmen Lucia a “witch” and a “prostitute” online, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ordered that he be put back into jail.
For eight hours, Mr. Jefferson locked himself in his house in Levy Gasparian, Rio de Janeiro state.
In a video that was shared on social media, he claimed that he had shot his pistol, but that he had no desire to hurt the cops.
Jefferson allegedly used explosives and guns to thwart attempts to have him arrested before being ultimately apprehended late at night “after a heated negotiation,” according to the Federal Police.
According to the Federal Police, two cops “were injured by shrapnel from a grenade hurled” by the former lawmaker, but they got medical care and are now in excellent health.
Bolsonaro rejected the “armed action” and showed his support for the injured after sending his justice minister to the site earlier.
Despite Mr. Bolsonaro’s denials on social media that he had never taken pictures with Mr. Jefferson, several pictures of the two taken after he took office in 2019 have now surfaced.
In addition to denouncing Mr. Jefferson’s comments directed at the Supreme Court judge, Mr. Bolsonaro rejected the STF’s inquiries into Mr. Jefferson, which he said were conducted “without any justification in the Constitution.”
Only one week remain before the second round of the presidential election, which will match Mr. Bolsonaro against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a leftist.
