Bullet Aimed at Equestrian Venue Blimp

There was a press conference at the Equestrian venue later this afternoon after competition. In it, Mario Andrade, the communications director for the Olympic Games addressed media about the stray bullet that landed in the equestrian press tent yesterday afternoon.

Andrade relays information from the Minister of Defense which claims that the bullet came from a nearby favela and the target was the blimp that is used for security at the venue and has been visible just outside the main arena.

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Following is the full transcript:

This morning the Minister of the Defense, Raul Jungmann, gave the Brazilian press the first details of the incident. I called into the security force the bullet came from a community far from here. They were aiming at the police blimp that carries cameras. The same source, which is the Minister of Defense, thought that the first findings show that the bullet arrived as they describe it with low energy and low speed. They described a parabolic trajectory aiming at the blimp. Security forces have obviously increase governance of residents and security in the areas nearby and more specifically in the areas close to where this bullet has shot from. The full report will be available with details of the type of weapon, type of bullet will be available in no more than 24 hours.

The Minister has re-iterated the fact that the target was the police blimp which confirms the early information that this area was never a target and the Olympic games were never a target. I’ll be coming here to let you know about all the information I can find. As soon as we have the final report of the investigators we will translate and hand every one of you a copy.

Question: How far away did this happen, one of the nearby favelas that this happened? Yeah, not very close though. It’s a long range kind of weapon (something was added that was unclear about the trajectory). I don’t know precisely where but the technical expert will be able to pinpoint exactly where it is coming from. The blimp, which is bullet proof by the way, will be able to allow us to know precisely where it came from and even which target.

Question: So you don’t know which favela it came from? I haven’t been told. I haven’t been informed. Generally, I believe the procedure in these cases is that they don’t tell which favela it is because that’s the favela where we are going to increase security. So this information is very confidential at this point.

Question: Some are thinking that the police blimp was really the target, can we really say that the venue and Games weren’t possibly a target? Those are here to protect this facility. How long have they been here?

The blimp as I understand it doesn’t stand on top of the venue, it stands a little…

Question: How long has it been here though?

The blimps were meant to fly a little before we started the games. They map everything, but they don’t physically stay on top of the venue. They stay a little…

Question: But they are actually there because of the Games?

The blimps are here because of the games because they are part of security of the games.

Question: So they are actually against the games.

They are aiming against the game. Because the blimp has cameras that can photograph and film whatever they are doing in their community. It’s a police blimp, it’s not an Olympic blimp. I understand your point, but you have got to understand mine.

Question: There were a few loud … I want to say explosions, a few loud noises today during dressage test in the afternoon. Do we know what those were?

We don’t know yet but we got the report that people heard this loud noises but we don’t have any explanations. But we will go after them.

Question: Do we know anything about who shot, has anybody been arrested for this attack?

They haven’t given us this information. But they have given us the information that they have leads to know. But they haven’t been precise if they have made any arrests or who they believe did it. And I understand this kind of information are confidential until they actually can do something in the area to (unclear) it.

Question: I read in the news that it was a bullet being shot at a drone which was watching the favelas. Is it being used to watch the favelas by drones?

The security force are using blimps and drones as part of the technology for protection and security of the games. Yes, they are using both equipments. Basically with cameras that they can monitor movements and also the blimps are sometimes used to monitor the movements of the crowds, the arrival, the departure, so they can make sure that everything is in order.

Question: Are police or military currently undertaking any live fire exercises?

I haven’t got this information confirmed. I don’t know and I’ll find out and if I get this information in the morning I’ll send the information here so you will be informed right in the morning.

Question: It would be nice because even while you’ve been talking here this evening we’re hearing rounds outside which sound like gunfire and so it was really just to assure ourselves that this is all a firing range close by or whether we are hearing gunfire that could be several multiple incidents.

Security forces want to release information only when they are absolutely sure of the information they have. I’m going to confirm the need to have information about the noises heard today so I can bring this information back to you.

Question: If they could tell us that they are firing themselves that was give us confidence that maybe it is from a firing range and maybe we don’t need to worry about it. We hear guns outside we just don’t know whether…

Yeah, I know. Our first goal is to protect you. Our second goal is to keep you informed so I’ll bring you more information as I have it. Thank you.

Tags: 2016 Rio Olympic Games,