A military police officer in Brazil has been arrested after a video surfaced showing him throwing a civilian off a bridge in Sao Paulo on Monday, leading to widespread protests in the city.
The footage, which rapidly circulated on social media and in Brazilian media, depicts an officer grabbing a civilian by the shirt and moving him towards the edge of a bridge. The officer then lifts the apparently unarmed man, who shows no signs of resistance, and pushes him over the edge.
CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.
The state’s public ministry condemned the incident as “appalling and absolutely unacceptable” in a statement released on Tuesday, emphasizing that the police had a duty to take the man safely to a police station for processing.
An arrest warrant for the officer, identified as Luan Felipe Alves, was issued, and he was taken into custody early Thursday. Sao Paulo’s military court subsequently ordered him to remain in preventive detention while investigations are conducted.
According to CNN Brasil, Alves claimed in court that his intention was to immobilize the man for evading police and to throw him to the ground, not over the bridge. It is believed the man survived the fall, and authorities are currently searching for him for questioning.
While the specific charges Alves may face remain unclear, his legal team stated that his arrest signals an “anticipation of guilt.” They argued that his detention was a response to social outcry and intended to seek his release.
The state’s military police have removed several officers from their regular duties, including Alves, as the investigation continues.
Secretary of Public Security for the State of Sao Paulo, Guilherme Derrite, stated in a video posted on X that he had ordered the immediate removal of the involved officers, emphasizing that such actions do not align with the military police’s mission.
The incident has intensified public outrage over police violence in Sao Paulo, particularly following a separate case in which an off-duty officer fatally shot a man accused of stealing soap.
Protests against police violence erupted on Thursday in Sao Paulo, with demonstrators calling for Derrite’s resignation. One protester emphasized the importance of being heard: “We need to fight more and more. We need to take to the streets to expose the violent police in Sao Paulo and throughout Brazil.”
In an interview with CNN Brasil, Cássio Araújo de Freitas, the general commander of the Sao Paulo Military Police, confirmed that the internal affairs division is investigating alleged incidents of police violence.
Credit: CNN
