Rio family buries girl killed by stray bullet; police blamed

Several hundred people attended the funeral of Ágatha Sales Félix, who died on Friday after she was shot while riding in a van in the Complexo do Alemao shantytown.

Rio de Janeiro: An 8-year-old girl who was killed by a stray bullet in a Rio de Janeiro shantytown was buried on Sunday amid allegations that she was hit by police fire.

Several hundred people attended the funeral of Ágatha Sales Félix, who died on Friday after she was shot in the back while riding in a van in the Complexo do Alemao shantytown.

Some mourners carried a large banner that said "Stop killing us," a reference to growing concern about the increasing use of lethal force by Brazilian police. Authorities defend their hardline tactics, saying they have contributed to a reduction in violent crime.

Residents and Félix's family blame local police for her death, saying they only heard a single shot when she was hit.

Police officers, however, say they were attacked from various directions and were responding to the gunfire. They have not said whether a police bullet killed Félix.

An investigation is underway. State officials said Sunday the girl's parents, as well as the van driver and other witnesses, have testified, while police officers will testify on Monday.

There are no reports of other casualties in the incident.

Governor Wilson Witzel of Rio de Janeiro state campaigned for office on promises to fight drug trafficking and corruption. In early January, days after taking office, he said police officers had been authorized to shoot and kill criminals armed with rifles.

Helicopters manned by police snipers also frequently fly over shantytown.

Police killed 1,075 people in the first seven months of this year in Rio state, which has a population of 17.2 million people, official figures show.