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Olympic officer fatally shot after wrong turn into slum

A police officer has died after being shot in the head when he and two others working security at the Rio Olympics got lost and encountered gunfire

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Brazil’s national security force officers aim their weapons during a police operation in search for criminals in Vila do Joao, part of the Mare complex of slums, during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016.

AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO — A police officer has died after being shot in the head when he and two others working security at the Rio Olympics got lost near a slum and encountered gunfire.

Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes announced Helio Vieira’s death early Friday on his official Facebook page.

The officers from Brazil’s national security force were using a GPS device to navigate unfamiliar streets Wednesday afternoon when they took a wrong turn off a highway leading to Rio’s international airport. Their truck was sprayed with bullets, and officer Helio Vieira was shot. He died late Thursday.

The other officers suffered minor injuries when the windows of their vehicle shattered.

More than 85,000 security forces have been deployed in Rio for the Olympics, which is double the number of London in 2012.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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