São Paulo police rescue hostage in terminal pharmacy standoff

A hostage situation at a pharmacy located within the Carrefour hypermarket at the João Dias Terminal in southern São Paulo was resolved on Wednesday after approximately two hours of negotiation.

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Antonio João do Nascimento Costa, reportedly held a female employee hostage with a knife. During the standoff, seven other individuals inside the pharmacy barricaded themselves in a room. Authorities described the suspect as being mentally disturbed and disconnected from reality.

The Special Tactical Actions Group (GATE) of the Military Police successfully rescued the victim by using a flashbang to distract the suspect before entering the pharmacy and neutralizing him with a taser. The victim was transported to a hospital via stretcher. The suspect was taken into custody following the intervention.