Prosecutors Charge BOPE Officers in Rio as Arrests and an Acquittal Shift 2025 Violence Probes

Overview

• Rio’s public prosecutors filed a qualified-homicide complaint against Sgt. Daniel Sousa da Silva and Lt. Felippe Carlos de Souza Martins over the killing of 23-year-old Herus Mendes during a festa junina, disputing a police finding of putative self‑defense.
• Case files cite body‑camera footage and note a purported attempt by the shooter to manipulate the device, as the MPRJ also seeks to suspend both officers from duty and restrict their contact with witnesses.
• Goiás homicide detectives arrested four suspects in the execution of pastelaria owner Fabrício Brasil Lourenço, including two military police sergeants, carried out nine searches, and are probing revenge tied to a prior rape allegation as a possible motive.
• Police in Tocantins arrested a third suspect in the June double murder of pastors Francilene de Sousa Reis e Silva and Dorvalino das Dores da Silva, saying he provided and drove the motorcycle used to ferry the alleged gunman.
• A jury in Bahia acquitted police officer Diego Kollucha in the 2023 killing of supermarket manager Juliana de Jesus Ribeiro, with the judge ordering his release after jurors found the evidence did not prove he fired the shots.