Young man shot 27 times by police officers in Moema, São Paulo, after being mistaken for armed individual
Gustavo Munis de Santana, 20 years old, died after being struck by 27 gunshots fired by Military Police in the Moema neighbourhood in São Paulo. Officers claimed to have mistaken the victim's mobile phone for a firearm.
Police fire 45 shots at young man in Moema; autopsy reveals 27 gunshot wounds
Gustavo Munis de Santana, 20 years old, died in the early morning of last Saturday (10) after being struck by 27 gunshots fired by military police officers in the Moema neighbourhood, South Zone of São Paulo. According to cnnbrasil.com.br, the officers claimed to have mistaken the mobile phone the victim was carrying for a firearm.
The incident began at approximately 2:45 a.m., when the Fire Department was called following reports of a young man in crisis and threatening to harm himself in the Planalto Paulista area, on Alameda dos Guaramomis. A patrol car with four military police officers was dispatched to the scene.
The officers spotted Gustavo on a footbridge placing his hand on his waist — a gesture described by police as threatening. The young man then ran towards Alameda dos Guaramomis and attempted to hide behind a column of a building. He then moved towards the officers with his arms outstretched and an object in his hand. The officers fired 45 shots.
The Fire Department was called again, but the medical team confirmed Gustavo's death at the scene. Civil Police autopsy identified 27 gunshot wounds on the arms, legs, abdomen, chest and head of the young man.
Six witnesses, including family members of the young man, were questioned at the scene. The accounts indicated that Gustavo faced problems with substance dependency and was undergoing treatment with antidepressants.
The officers involved were wearing body cameras during the operation. In the recorded footage, Gustavo appears emerging from a dark area next to the building's façade and pointing an object towards the street, where the officers were positioned.
The mobile phone the victim was holding, bullet fragments and the pistols used by the officers were collected. A police inquiry was opened and investigations remain ongoing.
The São Paulo Public Security Secretariat was questioned about the case and about the possibility of investigating the officers' conduct, but had not responded by the time of publication.
Source: Google News BR — Crime