TO shocking video An image has emerged showing a police officer throwing a man off a bridge in São Paulo, Brazil, during a routine traffic stop, sparking outrage across the country. The incident, caught on camera and leaked on social media, left the nation shocked and prompted an immediate investigation.
Footage shows Military Police officer Luan Pereira, 29, confronting Marcelo do Amaral, 25, who was arrested for driving a motorcycle without a license plate on Monday. The video shows Pereira grabbing do Amaral by the shirt and carrying him to the edge of a bridge. Without warning, Pereira lifts one of Do Amaral’s legs and throws him off the bridge, while his fellow officers watch.
Witnesses reported to the Brazilian media Metropolis Amaral fell into a stream under the bridge but managed to get out on his own. He climbed a hill where a friend found him and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred after a police chase in which several motorcyclists participated. The police report indicated that the chase took the officers to the Vila Clara neighborhood, where a party was taking place. According to the report, partygoers began throwing bottles and rocks at police, prompting them to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd. During the chaos, one person was reportedly shot, but the police report does not mention the moment Pereira threw Do Amaral off the bridge.
Witnesses also shared that Amaral questioned the officer about the delay in his surrender order and expressed concern about losing his motorcycle. His father, Antonio do Amaral, spoke to Jornal Nacional and condemned the officer’s actions. “He’s fine, but we haven’t been able to talk to him. “It is unacceptable,” Antonio said. “The police are there to defend the population, not to do what they did. A worker, a boy… He has no involvement, no background, nothing. “I want an explanation from this police officer and why he did this.”
Military Police immediately dismissed Pereira and 12 other officers as part of the ongoing investigation. The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, condemned the actions and said: “The Military Police of São Paulo is an institution that offers, above all, its professionalism when it comes to protecting people. “Those who go so far as to throw someone off a bridge are clearly not fit to wear this uniform.”
The attorney general of São Paulo, Paolo Costa, also expressed his indignation and called the act “shocking and absolutely unacceptable.” He stated that a special task force would lead the investigation and emphasized that the officer’s actions were a clear violation of his duties.
Pereira, a member of the Military Police’s motorcycle patrol unit, has a salary of about $878 a month. He had previously been involved in a fatal shooting in March 2023, where he shot and killed Maycon Valério, 31, after a high-speed chase. Pereira was investigated but was acquitted in January after it was determined he acted in self-defense.
This latest incident has reignited debates about police brutality in Brazil, with many demanding accountability for officers who misuse their authority.