São Paulo Jury Acquits Police Officer in 2022 Killing of Jiu-Jitsu Champion Leandro Lo

Prosecutors and the victim’s family plan to appeal, arguing procedural flaws could overturn the verdict.

Overview

After a three-day trial, jurors accepted the defense’s self-defense claim and Judge Fernanda Jacomini entered the acquittal.
A release order has been issued, and Henrique Velozo is expected to leave the Romão Gomes military prison in the coming days.
In October, a civil court annulled his administrative dismissal and reinstated him to the Military Police with pay exceeding R$14,000 a month.
The shooting occurred on August 7, 2022, during a show at Clube Sírio in São Paulo; Leandro Lo was shot in the head and died at the hospital.
Despite an indictment for triple-qualified homicide, at least four of the seven jurors voted to acquit, which was sufficient for a not-guilty verdict.