Three Brazilian police officers to face trial for attempted murder

Three military police officers—Daniel Pereira Noda, Carlos Vinicius Batista Bruno, and Thiago Freitas da Silva—will face a jury trial in Santos for the attempted murder of a motorcycle taxi driver, Evandro Alves da Silva. The incident occurred on August 30, 2023, during ‘Operação Escudo’ in the Morro José Menino region of the Baixada Santista.

The prosecution alleges the officers shot the victim with a 12-gauge firearm while he was unarmed in a bathroom of a building used by motorcycle taxi drivers. The victim suffered severe injuries, including fractured ribs and the loss of his spleen and part of his left lung, and had to jump from a seven-meter window to escape.

While the defense maintains the officers acted in self-defense and were performing their legal duties, body camera footage has become a central piece of evidence. The footage reportedly contradicts the officers' claims that the victim was armed, showing no weapon on a bed where one was later reported to be. Forensic analysis also suggested potential tampering with the crime scene regarding the placement of a firearm.