RIO DE JANEIRO — On Saturday, a judge issued lengthy prison sentences to three former members of Brazil’s Federal Highway Police for their involvement in the death of a Black man in 2022. The victim, Genivaldo de Jesus Santos, aged 38, died from asphyxiation while trapped inside the trunk of a police vehicle that was filled with smoke.
The incident caused widespread outrage throughout Brazil after footage emerged showing officers forcibly restraining Santos while a thick cloud of what appeared to be tear gas billowed from the SUV. This video triggered protests in Umbauba, located in the northeastern state of Sergipe, highlighting public outcry against police brutality.
Authorities claimed that Santos was demonstrating aggressive behavior and resisting arrest when they stopped him. They stated that he was immobilized and that they employed “instruments of lesser offensive potential” to manage the situation. However, bystanders reported that Santos could be heard pleading and attempting to inform the officers that he was on medication for psychiatric conditions.
After a 12-day trial, jurors convicted the officers of torture and murder. Justice Rafael Soares imposed a 28-year prison sentence for homicide on Paulo Rodolpho Lima Nascimento. The other two officers, William de Barros Noia and Kleber Nascimento Freitas, each received sentences exceeding 23 years for their part in the torture that led to Santos’s death.
In August 2023, it was recommended through an internal disciplinary process that all three officers be terminated from their positions, this decision was later validated by the Justice Ministry.
The issue of police violence has been increasingly scrutinized in Brazil in recent times. For instance, footage surfaced last Tuesday showing a military police officer in São Paulo throwing an individual off a bridge into a river, which incited significant public backlash. Additionally, a day prior, local media reported on another shocking incident in São Paulo where an off-duty military police officer shot and killed a young man who had stolen soap products.