This is the shocking moment two plain-clothed policemen were left writhing in agony in a pool of blood after a misunderstanding led to a shoot-out between them. In a case of mistaken identity, a civilian police officer mistook a military policeman for a robber and confronted him in a pharmacy in Fortaleza, north east Brazil.
Olívio Gabriel Torres, who works as a crime investigator, was hit in the face and military police officer, Edilson Barreto da Silva, who patrols the streets, suffered bullet wounds to his thigh and abdomen.
Security camera footage from inside the pharmacy on Wednesday shows the two men fighting after suspecting themselves before one pulled his gun.
Witnesses said at least 10 bullets were fired, many hitting walls on buildings opposite the pharmacy.
No one else was injured during the incident. Staff in the pharmacy were said to be in a state of shock and cowered behind the counters.
Security guards from nearby stores are said to have rushed to the scene and taken the guns from the men.
In a statement, the Department of Public Security and Social Defence said the incident was under investigation.
Both men were taken to the Dr. José Frota Institute Hospital where doctors said their injuries were extremely serious. The agents underwent emergency surgery and no further information has been released concerning the state of their health.
