A federal police officer in southern Brazil, a police major in western Iran, and a prison guard in northern Mexico were killed in distinct incidents this week, while a police chase in central Italy ended in the death of a suspect. The events, reported by local authorities between 1 and 3 July, have prompted criminal investigations and, in some cases, conflicting accounts of what occurred.

In Brazil, federal agent Michel Brasil Saliba died in hospital in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, after being shot three times on 2 July. According to the Federal Police and the Military Brigade, Saliba was leading a search-and-seizure operation targeting a contraband network that moved goods from Miami into Brazil via the Uruguayan border. As officers executed a warrant at the residence of a military police officer’s wife, the off-duty officer opened fire, striking Saliba and a second federal agent, who was later discharged. The military policeman was arrested at the scene. The Military Brigade stated he was on leave for personal reasons and, in a preliminary account, suggested he may not have recognised the plainclothes officers as police, reacting “instinctively” to protect himself and his partner. The Federal Police have not commented on that claim.

In Kermanshah, Iran, Major Mohsen Chehri was shot dead late on 2 July after a patrol stopped a Peugeot 405 deemed suspicious. As officers approached, the vehicle’s occupants fired at them and fled, according to the provincial police command. Chehri, described as an experienced and responsible officer, was struck and later pronounced dead. Authorities say the attacker has been identified and a manhunt is ongoing. Funeral arrangements are to be announced.

In Hermosillo, Sonora, a custodial officer of the state penitentiary system was killed on 2 July in what the Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat called a “direct attack”. The victim, around 40 years old, was shot multiple times on a central boulevard. Witnesses described an assailant in a black hood fleeing in a Mazda 6. No arrests have been reported. The state prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation, and authorities pledged the case would not go unpunished.

In Italy, a 43-year-old man with a criminal record, Massimo Ciarelli, died on the evening of 1 July when the maxi-scooter he was riding collided head-on with a Carabinieri Jeep Renegade on a highway near Pescara. Police say Ciarelli, who was under semi-custody and prohibited from driving, fled a checkpoint and later performed a U-turn, driving against traffic before striking the second patrol vehicle. His family, through their lawyer, contests this reconstruction, alleging the police car made contact with the scooter and that a second vehicle blocked the road, making impact inevitable. The Teramo prosecutor has opened a file for vehicular homicide against unknown persons and ordered technical examinations of the vehicles.

In Khulna, Bangladesh, a 63-year-old man, Hasan Sheikh, died on 2 July after being hacked by a group of men wielding sharp weapons. Local police said the attack stemmed from a dispute over a stolen van; the victim had named a suspect, leading to enmity. One person has been arrested, and a murder case filed. All incidents remain under active investigation, with authorities in each country yet to release final findings.