São Paulo police shootings spark protests and investigations
On July 13‑14 2026 two separate police‑related shootings occurred in São Paulo. In the São Rafael neighborhood, police military officers shot diocesan deacon José Carlos da Rocha Sobrinho after he allegedly pointed a firearm at them. The victim, a 42‑year‑old member of the Assembleia de Deus, died at the Sapopemba emergency unit. Body‑camera footage shows the cameras were activated only after the shots were fired. The incident prompted residents to block streets and burn objects in protest, and the case is being investigated by the Department of Homicides and the police coroner’s office.
A separate incident unfolded on Avenida Sapopemba in the Água Rasa district. An off‑duty police civil officer, believing a staged robbery at a car‑dealership to be real, opened fire on two men who were simulating an assault as a prank. One of the men, 36 years old, died later that day; the other was hospitalized. The officer’s body‑camera was also off at the time, and the shooting is now under inquiry by the police coroner’s office and the internal affairs unit. Both events have drawn public outcry and are subject to ongoing investigations.