‘I even laughed’, says Roberto Jefferson about the escape of an injured police officer – 05/26/2023 – Politics

Former deputy Roberto Jefferson (PTB) denied during interrogation this Friday (26) in Federal Justice that he had the intention of killing the four federal police officers who went to carry out the arrest order of Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Supreme Court Federal), last October.

Jefferson said that the 60 shots were aimed only at the PF vehicle, which he assumed was armored – only the front doors actually had protection.

He even said that he laughed when the policewoman fled, after throwing the first stun grenade adulterated with nails. The agent hit had the most serious injury of the attacked team. She was wounded in the leg by shrapnel from the projectile fired by the ex-deputy’s carbine.

“They took shelter. The last one to run was the girl. I even laughed. She’s just like my granddaughter. Little hair stuck…”, said the former deputy. Two other police officers were injured by shrapnel.

Jefferson, 69, apologized to the police, not present at the hearing, and said he regretted the act. “I’ve never in my life slapped anyone.”

The former deputy arrived and left handcuffed at the Federal Courthouse in Três Rios, 120 km from Rio de Janeiro. Family members and friends accompanied the audience and received him on the spot.

The Prosecutor’s Office and the defense will request new steps. Then, Judge Abby Magalhães, from the 1st Federal Court of Três Rios, will decide whether the case will be judged by a popular jury. Jefferson’s defense intends to change the charge of attempted murder to bodily harm, which would take the case out of the Grand Jury.

“The evidence of the prosecution did not demonstrate either intent or attempted murder. It demonstrated that he was in a state that could no longer tolerate so much illegality. At no time did he intend to take the lives of the police officers”, said lawyer João Pedro Barreto.

Jefferson was arrested on October 23 by order of the minister on the grounds of repeatedly failing to comply with previously imposed house arrest rules.

A day earlier, he had used his daughter’s Twitter account, former deputy Cristiane Brasil (PTB), to curse STF minister Cármen Lúcia. The magistrate was called “Blair Witch” and “Carmen Lucifer”, among other insults.

The former deputy had been under house arrest since January 2022 for health reasons. On the occasion, Moraes relaxed the preventive detention decreed in August 2021 as part of the investigation of the digital militias linked to then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Jefferson, a supporter of the former president, repeated that he reacted to the arrest because he considered Moraes’ order to be unfair and to avoid what he called further humiliations for the family.

“The minister [Moraes] ended my party and all the work I did. He suspended all party resources, twice intervened to remove me from the presidency. It was three years in a row. My house was invaded by the PF four times to comply with his orders. I promised myself it wouldn’t happen again,” he said.

The former deputy declared that, as soon as the police arrived at his house, in the municipality of Levy Gasparian, he left the house with a rifle, pistol and stun grenades in his hands. He stated that he announced that he would launch the light and sound bomb, at which point the police took cover, according to his version.

He then claimed to have fired at the car with the aim of scaring the police. Asked if the officers wore bulletproof vests, he said no. “That’s also why I was careful. They didn’t have a vest. Just a blouse with sleeves.”

When commenting on the injuries caused, he replied: “Unfortunately, a fragment of a weapon hurts”.

Jefferson is also accused of resisting a legal order (a crime he did not deny) and illegal possession of weapons and explosive material.

The former deputy said he acquired the rifle before the house arrest ordered against him last year. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office claims the opposite, that the acquisition took place irregularly, when he was already subject to restrictions.

The former president of the PTB declared that the light and sound grenades were acquired after the monthly allowance scandal, due to threats he says he suffered. He stated that he attached a nail to the explosive to increase its offensive potential, though with no intent to kill.

He also said he was willing to reimburse the Union for the damage caused to the vehicle and hand over its weapons to the Army.