Rio de Janeiro police kill bus hostage-taker

Aug. 20 (UPI) — Police in Rio de Janeiro fatally shot a man they said held dozens of hostages on a commuter bus Tuesday morning.

The Rio de Janeiro State Military Police said none of the 37 passengers on board the bus sustained injuries during the 4-hour standoff, though one woman fainted as she exited the vehicle. A sniper “neutralized” the hostage-taker on the Ponte Rio-Niterói bridge, the agency tweeted.

Though Brazilian media said it was unclear what demands the hostage-taker made, passengers said he had a gasoline can and threatened to set the bus on fire. He also had a gun, which police later determined to be a toy. Witnesses said he told the passengers he was a military police officer.

The sniper shot the man after he stepped outside the bus.

“This is the police force we want to see,” police Col. Mauro Fliess told local TV program Nom Dia Rio. “The sniper shot was necessary to neutralize the outlaw and save the people on the bus.”

Police blocked traffic on both sides of the bridge Tuesday morning during rush-hour traffic.