Retired police officer shoots two robbers during attempted holdup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NEWS:
Security footage from Engenho de Dentro, in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone, records a retired military police officer reacting to an attempted robbery at a beverage warehouse and opening fire on two men involved in the holdup. The incident occurred on Friday, May 15, 2026.
The officer was identified in published accounts as Gilson, a retired member of Rio de Janeiro's Military Police known by the nickname "Bigode" and also referred to as "Bigode da UPP." The footage shows the robbery taking place at the business and Gilson responding with his firearm.
Later reporting said both robbers were struck by gunfire. One was described as having been shot in the leg, while the second was reportedly hit in the face and chest. The same account said a firearm carried by one of the robbers failed during the attempted robbery.
According to that account, Gilson called Brazil's 190 police emergency number after the shooting. Police backup then arrived at the scene and took the two wounded men into custody.
Another published account gave a different version of what happened after the gunfire. It reported that one of the robbers died at the scene from his injuries, while the second was wounded and detained when police teams arrived. That account also said the area was isolated for forensic examination.
The conflicting reports leave the final condition of one of the robbers unresolved in the publicly available information. The security footage establishes the attempted robbery and Gilson's armed response, but the video itself does not establish whether either man later died.
The later May 18 account specifically reported that both wounded men were arrested after police backup reached the location. The separate account reporting a fatality said one man died at the scene and only the second was taken into custody. No publicly accessible primary statement from Rio de Janeiro's Military Police or Civil Police was located that resolves the discrepancy.
Gilson's nickname, "Bigode da UPP," is associated with his earlier service in Rio's Police Pacification Units. Material circulated with the robbery footage also shows him during his previous period with the UPP in Vila Cruzeiro.
The reported failure of one robber's firearm, the locations of the gunshot wounds and Gilson's subsequent call to 190 come from post-incident reporting rather than from details that can be independently established solely from the surveillance footage.
What the video directly records is the attempted robbery at the Engenho de Dentro business, Gilson reacting to the crime and firing at the two men. Both were subsequently reported as having been shot. Their final medical status remains disputed between the available published accounts.
News story written by DarkGore.
