PM officer charged with qualified murder after killing Thawanna Salmázio in East Zone of SP
The court accepted the indictment from the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office against police officer Yasmin Cursino Ferreira, accused of killing Thawanna Salmázio, 31 years old, with a shot to the abdomen in April.
Police officer becomes defendant for killing unarmed woman during stop in Cidade Tiradentes
The court accepted on Monday (19th) the indictment from the São Paulo Public Prosecutor's Office against police officer Yasmin Cursino Ferreira, accused of killing Thawanna Salmázio with a shot from a .40 calibre firearm during a stop in the early morning of 3 April in Cidade Tiradentes, in the East Zone of São Paulo. As reported by g1.globo.com, the officer now faces triple qualified homicide charges — trivial motive, cruel means and use of a method that prevented the victim's defence.
Thawanna was 31 years old, was the mother of five children aged between 5 and 13 years old and worked as a general helper.
What happened in the early morning of 3 April
Thawanna and her partner, Luciano Gonçalves dos Santos, were walking down a street when a police vehicle passed by the location and Luciano's arm brushed against the vehicle. The driver reversed and questioned the couple. The situation escalated into a verbal disagreement.
According to the Public Prosecutor's indictment, it was after this argument that Yasmin fired a shot, striking Thawanna in the abdominal region. The Public Prosecutor's Office maintains that there was no situation that justified the use of lethal force and emphasises that the victim was unarmed. For the prosecutors, the shot was disproportionate and eliminated the woman's possibility of defence.
A body camera worn by a police officer recorded that Thawanna did not touch the vehicle's wing mirror nor initiate any assault before being shot.
More than 30 minutes without medical assistance
Thawanna remained wounded at the scene for more than 30 minutes before receiving treatment, despite Fire Department stations being only a few minutes away from where the shot was fired. She suffered due to her wound and died hours later. On 10 April, the Medical Examiner's Office issued a death certificate indicating acute internal haemorrhage as the cause of death. Paramedics interviewed by TV Globo stated that the delay in rescue directly contributed to the worsening of her condition, as the wound was not stopped in the first minutes.
Prosecutors Rodolfo Justino de Morais and Lucas de Mello Shaefer argue that the delay in assistance constitutes the use of cruel means, since Thawanna remained conscious and suffering without the officer taking any action. "It is certain that the crime was committed for a trivial motive, consisting of a banal argument, arising from the fact that the victim and her partner did not accept the aggressiveness with which they were treated. Likewise, the crime was committed by cruel means, since the victim suffered for more than 30 minutes until she was effectively rescued, without the accused taking any action to mitigate her act," the prosecutors state in the indictment.
The prosecutors also asked the court to set a minimum amount of R$ 1 million as compensation for the damage caused to Thawanna's family members.
Conclusions from the Internal Affairs Office and military investigation
The Internal Affairs Office of the São Paulo Military Police concluded that Yasmin intended to kill Thawanna during the stop. The investigation found clear evidence of qualified wilful homicide and stated there were no elements constituting self-defence. The body camera footage was considered fundamental to this conclusion.
The report of the Military Police Inquiry, concluded on 1 June, also pointed to evidence of authorship and materiality of homicide. According to the investigation officer, there were no elements demonstrating imminent risk to life capable of justifying the use of lethal force. The document also noted the absence of progressive action before the shot was fired and classified the use of force as inadequate, unnecessary and disproportionate.
The defence's version presented by Yasmin was one of self-defence. According to the account incorporated into the inquiry, Thawanna allegedly slapped the officer's face and advanced towards her during a physical confrontation; Yasmin allegedly tried to push her away before firing. Witness statements collected during proceedings, however, presented diverging versions. One witness stated that the argument would have been initiated by the officer herself and reported that Yasmin assaulted Thawanna before receiving the slap. According to this statement, the officer took two steps backwards and fired without issuing a verbal warning.
The inquiry analysed footage from operational cameras, autopsy reports, crime scene examination reports, firearm discharge reports and bodily injury reports of the officer. The report also pointed to evidence of disciplinary violation against officer Weden Silva Soares for failure to comply with the foot stop procedure, but did not identify evidence of military or ordinary crime against him.
Functional status of the accused
Police officer Yasmin Cursino Ferreira has been removed from duty since the incident. The final report of the Internal Affairs Office investigation was sent to the Military Justice. With the acceptance of the indictment by the ordinary court, she formally becomes a defendant in the trial for triple qualified homicide.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo