Jornalist is assaulted in the Northeast of Brazil

The journalist Handson Laércio, radio broadcaster and presenter from TV Mearim, located in the city of Bacabal, state of Maranhão (Northeast Brazil), was shot in his hand between 6h00 and 6h30, on the 13th of April while preparing to leave his house, informs police officer Jader Alves. The injury was not grave, and the journalist has quickly recovered.

According to Alves, Handson Laércio reported being attacked inside his car, in his house´s garage, while preparing to leave for work. While arranging some of his belongings in the back seat, he was approached by an individual, who was, supposedly, waiting, crouched by the side of the vehicle. Still According to to the police officer, the assaulter got up, pointed the weapon to Laércio and said “now you are going to die”. Laércio put his hand in the front of the weapon, which made the shot hit him only slightly, subsequently piercing through the vehicle´s back windshield. The journalist reported playing dead while the assaulter fled. He claims having heard the sound of a motorcycle leaving the scene.

According to the reporter Eva Souza de Albuquerque, who works on Laércio´s program, Ronda na Cidade (City Patrol), the journalist has been suffering threats from criminals from the moment his program started, five years ago. “It is natural for him to suffer threats, it is a police reports show. He always heard threats, “I will kill you, I will get you”, but never took them seriously. Then, what happened happened”. Albuquerque says the assaulter was wearing a T-shirt covering his face in the moment of the action, which makes the police´s work harder.

Although the police has tried to obtain information with Laércio´s neighbors, they could not find any other witness besides Laércio and his wife, who claims to heading to the garage after hearing the sound of a weapon. According to the police, she reported having found her husband lying down on the backseat of his car, with his legs left outside.

The police continues the investigations, but, to the moment, has no suspects. “the person who could have given us a suspect is the assaulted himself, but he was not capable of identifying the assaulter”, says officer Jader.

Abraji made contact with Laércio, but he refused to give statements about the subject, claiming to be following his lawyer´s orientation.