One survey carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of São Paulo shows that, in the first half of this year, the number of people killed by military police officers on duty in the state of São Paulo reached 296. In the same period last year, the number of deaths was 154. 
In February of this year, 73 deaths of this type were recorded, more than triple the number of the same month last year, with 24 deaths.
One of the explanations is related to police operations in Baixada Santista. Both Operation Shield as for Operation Summer were the target of criticism precisely because of police violence.
This week, the courts accepted the charges against two police officers who participated in Operation Escudo. They are accused of executing a person in July of last year, in Baixada Santista. This operation had a second phase, at the beginning of this year, followed by Operation Verão. In this case, these two police officers who became defendants are said to have executed a restrained person and, subsequently, altered the crime scene and erased images from cameras at the location.
The São Paulo Public Security Department reported in a statement that deaths occur when criminals react violently and that all cases are investigated by the internal affairs department, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary.
