Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Armed police surround bus with hostages on board

Military police say they have "neutralised" a man who held dozens of passengers hostage for more than three hours on a commuter bus in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

In a tweet, police said all hostages had been freed after a sniper shot the man dead.

Police had surrounded the bus which came to a standstill on a bridge linking Rio with Niterói.

None of the hostages were injured, police said.

A spokesman for the military police, Col Mauro Fliess, told a local TV programme that the sniper opened fire when the hijacker appeared at the door of the bus pointing what looked like a weapon at the head of one of the hostages.

Col Fliess told TV programme Bom Dia Rio that the weapon the man was carrying turned out to be a toy gun.

Col Fliess praised the force. "This is the police force we want to see. The sniper shot was necessary to neutralise the outlaw and to save the people on the bus," the colonel said.

At least six passengers had been freed before the sharp shooter took aim. Footage showed one of the released hostages fainting as she got off the bus.

Image copyright EPA Image caption A woman who was released lost consciousness as she got off the bus

At one point the hostage-taker could be seen leaning out of the open door with something resembling a petrol bomb in his hand.

Brazilian media said it was not clear if he had made any demands. He reportedly boarded the bus at 05:30 (0830 GMT) and threatened passengers.

He reportedly told the passengers he was a military police officer. Col Fliess said it had not yet been confirmed if he was an officer or just claimed to be.

Image caption The bridge on which the hijacking spans Guanabara Bay

One news site released a WhatsApp message reportedly written by one of the passengers, saying that the gunman had tied the passengers' hands and had a petrol can as well as a gun.

Traffic on the bridge has been blocked completely.

Military police had earlier tweeted (in Portuguese) that the special operations team was negotiating with the hostage taker: "Our officers are trained and have great practical experience in these types of situations."

They had also asked people to remain calm.

It is not the first time a bus has been hijacked in Rio. In 2006, a gunman held passengers hostage for 10 hours before surrendering.

In that case, one of those on board was the gunman's wife, whom he threatened to kill for leaving him. The man eventually surrendered after relatives were brought in to calm him down. </s> A woman sits in a car with a baby as they wait on a blocked access as a Federal Highway Police officer stands next at the busy bridge connecting the city of Niteroi to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 during a hostage standoff. An armed man holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus and threatening to set the vehicle on fire was seized by police after a four-hour long standoff, Brazilian police said. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brandishing a fake gun, a man on Tuesday took dozens of hostages on a bus in Brazil and threatened to set the vehicle on fire with gasoline before police shot him dead in a four-hour standoff on Latin America’s longest bridge.

All the hostages were freed unharmed on a 13-kilometer (8-mile) bridge that offers a sweeping view of Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The panoramic setting where the man made his move seemed to reflect a bid for maximum publicity in a spot with virtually no chance of escape.

“He told us he didn’t want our belongings, that he didn’t want to hurt us, that he just wanted to go down in history,” said Hans Moreno, a hostage who had been sitting at the back of the bus.

The bridge links Rio to the Niteroi municipality across Guanabara Bay. Many people use it to travel to and from work in Rio, and hundreds of vehicles were backed up as police closed its eight lanes and tried to get control of the dangerous situation. The bus was coming from Sao Gonçalo, a municipality struggling with poverty and violence.

Police initially said the man had a gun and a knife. Later, however, Lt. Col. Maurilio Nunes of the elite police squad that handled the hostage-taking said the gun was fake.

“He had highs and lows,” Nunes said of the hostage taker, who communicated with police. Professional psychologists were summoned to help police assess the man’s troubled state of mind, according to Nunes.

The man took 37 people hostage on the bus at around 5:30 a.m., as commuter traffic was increasing, police said. He released two hostages, then another two, and then two more, separately. Later, he stepped out of the bus, threw an object resembling a bag and was shot by a sniper.

Several shots were heard when police killed the man, and journalists and others in the area ducked to the ground.

The man’s intentions were unclear and he did not make any particular demands, according to police. The standoff was broadcast live on Brazil’s TV Globo, riveting Brazilians in a nation accustomed to high levels of crime.

The man instructed a hostage to bind the wrists of other passengers with plastic straps, but let them make brief phone calls to family members, according to Moreno, one of the hostages. He said he jotted short descriptions on a piece of paper of where the hostage-taker was standing in the bus, and placed the paper at a window in an attempt to guide police.

Gov. Wilson Witzel of Rio de Janeiro pumped his fist in triumph after arriving on the bridge in a helicopter after the hostage-taker was killed. He later praised police, saying the hostage situation was high-profile but that armed criminals are regularly “terrorizing” people out of sight of most Brazilians.

Any criminal with a firearm “can and should be shot down by an elite sniper,” said Witzel, dismissing concerns that police killings of suspects in Rio are increasing.

Police in Rio killed 881 people in the first six months of this year — almost five a day — a double digit increase compared to the same period in 2018, according to official figures.

Witzel, a former marine, has argued in favor of using snipers on helicopters to shoot armed criminals in Rio’s slums. He is a political ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, whose successful election platform last year included a pledge to get tough on crime.

“We don’t have to feel sorry for him,” Bolsonaro told reporters from Brasilia before police forces had managed to regain control of the situation.

Some passengers who were earlier freed by the assailant told police that the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and was threatening to set it on fire. Witzel said there was a “strong smell of gasoline” when he went inside the bus after the hostage-taker was killed.

At one point, the man freed a hostage who only managed to walk a few meters toward police before passing out on the ground and being taken to an ambulance.

The episode reminded many Brazilians of shocking images from a bus seizure in Rio de Janeiro in 2000 during which a hostage and the gunman were killed.

That confrontation, which was also shown on live television, inspired Bus 174, an award-winning documentary that explored the social roots of violence in Brazilian society and scrutinized problems in the police force and criminal justice system.

In 2017, a man with a toy gun took 30 people hostage on a bus on the same bridge linking Rio and Niteroi, and released them unharmed after an hour, according to local media.

Associated Press journalists Leo Correa and Lucas Dumphreys contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro. </s> A woman sits in a car with a baby as they wait on a blocked access as a Federal Highway Police officer stands next at the busy bridge connecting the city of Niteroi to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 during a hostage standoff. An armed man holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus and threatening to set the vehicle on fire was seized by police after a four-hour long standoff, Brazilian police said. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brandishing a fake gun, a man on Tuesday took dozens of hostages on a bus in Brazil and threatened to set the vehicle on fire with gasoline before police shot him dead in a four-hour standoff broadcast live on television.

All of the hostages were freed unharmed in the confrontation, which unfolded on a 13-kilometer-long (8-mile-long) bridge linking Rio de Janeiro to the Niteroi municipality across Guanabara Bay.

The seized bus was coming from Sao Gonçalo, a community struggling with poverty and violence that lies across a bay. Many people use the bridge to travel to and from work in Rio, and hundreds of vehicles were backed up as police closed lanes and tried to get control of the dangerous situation.

Police initially said the man had a gun and a knife. Later, however, Lt. Col. Maurilio Nunes of the elite police squad that handled the hostage-taking said the gun was fake.

The man took 37 people hostage on the bus at around 5:30 a.m., as commuter traffic was increasing, police said. He released two hostages, then another two, and then two more, separately. Later, he stepped out of the bus, threw an object resembling a bag and was shot by a sniper.

The man’s intentions were unclear and he did not make any particular demands, according to police. The standoff was broadcast live on Brazil’s TV Globo, riveting Brazilians in a nation accustomed to high levels of crime.

Gov. Wilson Witzel of Rio de Janeiro state praised the police, saying the hostage situation was high-profile but that armed criminals are regularly “terrorizing” people out of sight of most Brazilians.

Any criminal with a firearm “can and should be shot down by an elite sniper,” said Witzel, dismissing concerns that police killings of suspects in Rio are increasing.

Police in Rio killed 714 people in the first five months of this year – almost five a day – 20% more than in 2018, according to official figures.

Witzel, a former marine, has argued in favor of using snipers on helicopters to shoot armed criminals in Rio’s crime-ridden slums. He is a political ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, whose successful election platform last year included a pledge to get tough on crime.

Rio’s elite police force, known as BOPE, on Tuesday took charge of negotiations with the hostage-taker while a sniper deployed near the scene.

Several shots were heard when police killed the man. Journalists and others in the area ducked to the ground.

Some passengers who were earlier freed by the assailant told police that the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and was threatening to set it on fire. Witzel said there was a “strong smell of gasoline” when he went inside the bus after the hostage-taker was killed.

However, Hans Moreno, one of the hostages, said on TV Globo that the hostage-taker had appeared “very calm.”

At one point, the man freed a hostage who only managed to walk a few meters toward police before passing out on the ground and being taken to an ambulance.

The episode reminded many Brazilians of shocking images from a bus seizure in Rio de Janeiro in 2000 during which a hostage and the gunman were killed.

That confrontation, which was also shown on live television, inspired Bus 174, an award-winning documentary that explored the social roots of violence in Brazilian society and scrutinized problems in the police force and criminal justice system.

In 2017, a man with a toy gun took 30 people hostage on a bus on the same bridge linking Rio and Niteroi, and released them unharmed after an hour, according to local media. </s> Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Police in Rio de Janeiro fatally shot a man they said held dozens of hostages on a commuter bus Tuesday morning.

The Rio de Janeiro State Military Police said none of the 37 passengers on board the bus sustained injuries during the 4-hour standoff, though one woman fainted as she exited the vehicle. A sniper "neutralized" the hostage-taker on the Ponte Rio-Niterói bridge, the agency tweeted.

Though Brazilian media said it was unclear what demands the hostage-taker made, passengers said he had a gasoline can and threatened to set the bus on fire. He also had a gun, which police later determined to be a toy. Witnesses said he told the passengers he was a military police officer.

The sniper shot the man after he stepped outside the bus.

"This is the police force we want to see," police Col. Mauro Fliess told local TV program Nom Dia Rio. "The sniper shot was necessary to neutralize the outlaw and save the people on the bus."

Police blocked traffic on both sides of the bridge Tuesday morning during rush-hour traffic. </s> A woman sits in a car with a baby as they wait on a blocked access as a Federal Highway Police officer stands next at the busy bridge connecting the city of Niteroi to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 during a hostage standoff. An armed man holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus and threatening to set the vehicle on fire was seized by police after a four-hour long standoff, Brazilian police said. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An armed man who took dozens of hostages on a bus in Brazil was shot dead by police following a four-hour standoff on Tuesday, authorities said.

All the hostages were freed unharmed during the incident in Rio de Janeiro, state Gov. Wilson Witzel said. The man, holding a gun and a knife, took 37 people hostage around 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.

Some passengers who were earlier freed by the assailant told police that the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and was threatening to set it on fire.

However, Hans Moreno, one of the hostages, said on TV Globo that the man had appeared “very calm.”

Officials said the man had identified himself as a policeman but that they were not able to confirm this information. He did not make any particular demands, according to police.

“I want to thank the police for its work,” Witzel told TV Globo. This kind of situation “is happening in communities. They have rifles in the communities, terrorizing the communities.”

Rio’s elite police force, known as BOPE, had taken charge of negotiations with the hostage-taker. A sniper was placed nearby. Traffic was blocked in both directions on the bridge, with hundreds of vehicles waiting in line.

Sao Gonçalo, an area struggling with poverty and violence, is separated from Rio by Guanabara Bay. Many use the bridge where the hostages were seized to go to and from work. </s> RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - An armed man on Tuesday took dozens of hostages on a bus in Brazil and threatened to set the vehicle on fire with gasoline before police shot him dead in a four-hour standoff broadcast live on television.

All of the hostages were freed unharmed in the confrontation, which unfolded on a 13-kilometer-long (8-mile-long) bridge linking Rio de Janeiro to the Niteroi municipality across Guanabara Bay.

The seized bus was coming from Sao Gonçalo, a community struggling with poverty and violence that lies across a bay. Many people use the bridge to travel to and from work in Rio, and hundreds of vehicles were backed up as police closed lanes and tried to get control of the dangerous situation.

The man, holding a gun and a knife, took 37 people hostage on the bus at around 5:30 a.m., as commuter traffic was increasing. He released two hostages, then another two, and then two more, separately. Later, he stepped out of the bus, threw an object resembling a bag and was shot by a sniper.

The gunman's intentions were unclear and he did not make any particular demands, according to police. The standoff was broadcast live on Brazil's TV Globo, riveting Brazilians in a nation accustomed to high levels of crime.

Gov. Wilson Witzel of Rio de Janeiro state praised the police, saying the hostage situation was high-profile but that armed criminals are regularly "terrorizing" people out of sight of most Brazilians.

"If the police could do their job and shoot people with rifles, so many victims would be spared," Witzel said on TV Globo.

The governor, a former marine, has argued in favor of using snipers on helicopters to shoot armed criminals in Rio's crime-ridden slums. He is a political ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, whose successful election platform last year included a pledge to get tough on crime.

Rio's elite police force, known as BOPE, had taken charge of negotiations with the hostage-taker while a sniper was placed near the scene.

Several shots were heard when police killed the man. Journalists and others in the area ducked to the ground.

Some passengers who were earlier freed by the assailant told police that the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and was threatening to set it on fire. However, Hans Moreno, one of the hostages, said on TV Globo that the man had appeared "very calm."

At one point, the gunman freed a hostage who only managed to walk a few meters toward police before passing out on the ground and being taken to an ambulance. </s> People wait at a blocked access of the bridge connecting the city of Niteroi to Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 during a hostage standoff. An armed man holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus and threatening to set the vehicle on fire was seized by police after a four-hour long standoff, Brazilian police said. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Latest on a hostage taking on a bus in Brazil (all times local):

Rio de Janeiro’s state governor says an armed man who took dozens of hostages on a bus has died after being shot by police following a four-hour long standoff.

Gov. Wilson Witzel said the hostages were freed after Tuesday’s incident. The man armed with a gun and a knife took 37 people hostage around 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.

Police say hostages told them the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and was threatened to set it on fire.

Hans Moreno, one of the hostages onboard, said on TV Globo the man was not behaving in an aggressive way and was “very calm.”

Sao Gonçalo is a violent, impoverished suburb separated from Rio by Guanabara Bay. Many use the bridge to go to and from work.

Brazilian television is showing an armed hostage-taker leaving a bus with dozens of passengers on board and being encircled by police after a standoff in Rio de Janeiro. It was unclear if he was injured or dead.

Brazilian police say the man had threatened to set fire to the vehicle which had 37 people on board. The hostage taking started at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.

Police said they told authorities the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and threatened to set it on fire. Officials said the man has identified himself as a policeman but this has not been confirmed.

The man has not made any particular demands and appears to have “psychological problems,” a spokesperson for the traffic police said on TV Globo.

An armed man was holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro and threatening to set the vehicle on fire, Brazilian police said.

The Federal Highway Police said negotiations were underway with the man who has been holding 37 people hostage since about 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.

At least six hostages have been released so far and police said they told authorities the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and threatened to set it on fire. Officials said the man has identified himself as a policeman but this has not been confirmed. He reportedly has a gun and a knife.

The man has not made any particular demands and appears to have “psychological problems,” a spokesperson for the traffic police said on TV Globo.

Rio’s elite police force known as BOPE is in charge of the negotiations. A sniper has been placed nearby. Traffic has been blocked in both directions on the bridge, with hundreds of vehicles waiting in line.

Sao Gonçalo is a violent, impoverished suburb separated from Rio by Guanabara Bay. </s> (RIO DE JANEIRO) — Rio de Janeiro’s state governor says an armed man who took 37 people hostage on a bus has died after being shot by police following a four-hour long standoff. Gov. Wilson Witzel said the hostages were freed after Tuesday’s incident.

The man armed with a gun and a knife took 37 people hostage around 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonçalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro.. Six hostages were released in the first few hours and police said they told authorities the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and threatened to set it on fire. Officials said the man had identified himself as a policeman but that they were not able to confirm this information.

Brazilian television earlier appeared to show the hostage-taker leaving the bus and being encircled by police.

Hans Moreno, one of the hostages onboard, said on TV Globo the man was not behaving in an aggressive way and was “very calm.” The man had not made any particular demands and appeared to have “psychological problems,” a spokesperson for the traffic police said on TV Globo.

Rio’s elite police force known as BOPE was in charge of the negotiations. A sniper was placed nearby. Traffic has been blocked in both directions on the bridge, with hundreds of vehicles waiting in line.

“I want to thank the police for its work,” Witzel told TV Globo. This kind of situation “is happening in communities. They have rifles in the communities, terrorizing the communities.”

Sao Gonçalo is an impoverished suburb separated from Rio by Guanabara Bay. Many use the bridge to go to and from work. </s> RIO DE JANEIRO -- An armed man holding dozens of people hostage on a public bus Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro and threatening to set the vehicle on fire was arrested by police after a four-hour long standoff, Brazilian police said.The man armed with a gun and a knife took 37 people hostage around 5:30 a.m. on a busy bridge linking the suburb of Sao Gonalo to downtown Rio de Janeiro, before being controlled by police forces. It was immediately unclear if he was wounded or dead.Six hostages were released in the first few hours and police said they told authorities the man had spilled gasoline in the bus and threatened to set it on fire. Officials said the man had identified himself as a policeman but that they were not able to confirm this information.Hans Moreno, one of the hostages onboard, said on TV Globo the man was not behaving in an aggressive way and was "very calm."The man had not made any particular demands and appeared to have "psychological problems," a spokesperson for the traffic police said on TV Globo.Rio's elite police force known as BOPE was in charge of the negotiations. A sniper was placed nearby. Traffic has been blocked in both directions on the bridge, with hundreds of vehicles waiting in line.Sao Gonalo is a violent, impoverished suburb separated from Rio by Guanabara Bay. Many use the bridge to go to and from work.
Thirty-seven passengers on a bus over Rio–Niterói Bridge, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are held hostage before police fatally shoot the armed hijacker. After closer inspection, police discover that the hijacker used a fake plastic gun.