Salvador retired police officer convicted of homicide

A 103-year-old retired military police officer, Emiliano Melo dos Santos, has been convicted for the 2021 killing of a man in Salvador, Bahia. The incident occurred in the Dois de Julho neighborhood during a dispute involving a couple.

According to the Public Ministry of Bahia, Santos opened fire after questioning a couple, Jeniffer Carvalho dos Santos and Welton Lopes Costa, about a disagreement they were having. The gunfire initially struck the woman and subsequently hit Costa, who died from his injuries.

Jurors rejected the defense's claim of self-defense, instead accepting the prosecution's argument of qualified homicide using a resource that made defense difficult or impossible. Santos was sentenced to 4 years, 10 months, and 19 days in a semi-open regime. However, due to his advanced age and critical health status, the court ordered that the sentence be served via humanitarian house arrest.