Video shows PM shooting rubber bullets at man in GO stadium

The Military Police of Goiás opened an administrative disciplinary procedure to investigate the conduct of a police officer who shot rubber bullets in the back of a 37-year-old man, who was standing on his back, with his hands on his head. The fact occurred last Sunday (12), after a football game, in Mozarlândia, northwest region of Goiás, and was recorded in videos recorded by fans.

In a note, the communications advisor for the PM Goiana, Lieutenant Colonel Dallbian Guimarães Rodrigues, said that the corporation’s command determined the investigation. Another police officer pepper sprayed the fan after the shooting. The names of the PMs were not released.

The scene took place at the Alicio Camões de Araújo stadium, after a confusion at the end of the match between the teams from Mozarlândia and Aruanã. According to reports, a group of people invaded the camp, which would have led a team of police to occupy it.

A video, recorded by a man who was in the stands, shows the moment when the fan approaches three police officers who were on the other side of a wire fence. Unable to hear the content of the conversation. He is ordered to surrender and turns his back with his hands on his head.

Then, suddenly, one of the police officers raises his gun and shoots the fan in the back twice. Immediately afterwards, another PM approaches the man, still on the other side of the fence, and sprays pepper spray in his face.

“Film it there”, says a fan, from the stands. “I recorded it”, comments the author of one of the videos, to receive a comment from a colleague, soon after: “It’s a process, a process”.

Another video also shows that some fans were revolted by the action of the police. In the field, a woman recorded the moment she criticized the PMs just a few meters from them while filming them from behind. “This is abuse of authority,” she yelled.

Police officers who are part of the Specialized Policing Command (CPE) in the city of Goiás, about 140 km from Mozarlândia, were called to the soccer game to reinforce security.

The vice president of the National Human Rights Commission of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association), Roberto Serra da Silva Maia, criticized the action. “The videos revealed excesses by the police, which must be rigorously investigated,” he said.

“Although the police officer used instruments of lesser offensive potential, such as rubber bullets and spray, the victim apparently did not offer resistance, was not carrying a weapon or presented an immediate risk of death or injury to security agents or to third parties”, said Maia.

The report did not receive a response from the Secretary of Public Security of Goiás, Renato Brum dos Santos, at the time of publication of this text. He also did not get a response from the Mozarlândia City Hall and the teams involved in the match.