RIO DE JANEIRO — The Brazilian army is investigating the death of a man in Rio de Janeiro whose car was hit by 80 shots fired by members of the armed forces.

Authorities say soldiers mistook the car driven by 46-year-old Evaldo dos Santos Rosa for that of criminals. Rosa was killed and his wife’s stepfather wounded. Relatives say his wife, 7-year-old son and another woman were unharmed.

The army initially said it had responded to gunfire from attackers on Sunday. But police say no arms were found in the car and the military eventually changed its statement.

Police say all evidence points to a homicide.

New President Jair Bolsonaro has vowed to unleash the security forces to battle the country’s rampant crime and violence. </s> A car ploughed into a crowd in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, the second-most populous municipality in Brazil.

The accident, which happened on Friday in the seaside promenade, led to the death of a baby, while 17 people were injured.

The 41-year-old driver told investigators he had suffered a seizure, the Rio military police said on Friday.

According to the police, the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.

“There were no indications of a terrorist attack,” the Rio military police said on Twitter.

Two children and an Australian tourist were among those injured. (dpa/NAN) </s> Image copyright Reuters Image caption A wrecked car stood outside one of the banks targeted by the gang

At least five hostages, including a child, have died as armed police battled robbers who had tried to raid two banks in north-east Brazil.

Six other people also died in the gun battle in the city of Milagres, reports say. It is not clear if they were robbers or police officers.

The mayor of Milagres, in Ceara state, said the hostages were killed by their captors as police moved in.

Two suspected robbers were arrested, Brazilian media reported.

Four of the hostages, including the child, were all from the same family, city mayor Lielson Landim told Radio Band News.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A wrecked car stood outside one of the banks targeted by the gang

According to initial reports, police surprised the robbers in the early hours of the morning and engaged them in a shootout. The gang then fled, reportedly grabbing the hostages on their way.

Mr Landim, quoted by Brazil's Globo newspaper, said the gang had blocked a road with a truck and seized the family from a vehicle that was forced to stop.

"The criminals killed the hostages and the police killed the criminals," he added.

However, a spokeswoman for the state governor said that 12 people had died, including six police officers.

Security officials said police had seized guns and explosives used by the gang. Three vehicles had been used in the attempted robberies on two bank branches, they added.
One person is killed when his car is hit by more then eighty shoots by the brazilian army after his car was mistaken by another one where it was supposed to be criminals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.