A military police officer who shot a 22-year-old medical student last Wednesday (20), in São Paulo, was indicted for intentional homicide – when there is intent to kill – in a Military Police Inquiry (IPM), reported the Public Security Secretariat. He added that body cameras recorded the incident.
Medical student Marco Aurélio Cardenas Acosta was killed with a gunshot by police officer Guilherme Augusto Macedo during a police stop. The incident took place at around 2:50 am, on the steps of a hotel on Rua Cubatão, in Vila Mariana, south of the capital of São Paulo.
The person who fired the shot and also the second military police officer who participated in the incident gave a statement and will remain away from operational activities until the investigations are concluded.
Investigation
“All agent conduct is investigated. The images from the body cameras that recorded the incident will be attached to the investigations conducted by the Military Police Internal Affairs and the Department of Homicide and Personal Protection (DHPP)”, said, in a note, the SSP.
Through social media, governor Tarcísio de Freitas, of São Paulo, lamented the death of Marco Aurélio. “This is not the conduct that the police of the State of São Paulo should have with any citizen, under any circumstances. The Military Police is an institution that is almost 200 years old, it is the most prepared police in the country and is on the streets to protect. Abuses will never be tolerated and will be severely punished,” said the governor.
Lethality
The São Paulo State Police Ombudsman, Claudio Silvaassesses, however, that there is a setback in all areas of public security in the state. According to him, speeches by state authorities that validate a more lethal police force, weakening of the troops’ internal control bodies and mischaracterization of the body camera policy are some of the elements that negatively impact security in the state.
The number of people killed by military police officers on duty increased 84.3% this year – from January to November – compared to the same period last year, rising from 313 to 577 fatal victims, according to data released by the Public Ministry of the State of São Paulo (MPSP), until November 17th.
The Special Action Group for Public Security and External Control of Police Activity (Gaesp) of the MPSP carries out external control of police activity and publishes data resulting from police intervention. The information is passed directly by the civil and military police to the prosecutor’s office, in accordance with legal determinations and resolution of the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP).
