Photo courtesy of g1.globo.com
Thirty-three-year-old Kaio Souza was knocked out by a white police officer in São Paulo, Brazil, the DailyMail reported.
Souza, who is Black, and two other men were being questioned during a traffic stop on May 29 by Corporals Oliveira and Dietrich. The incident was recorded with a cellphone.
The video is in Portuguese. However, the visual paints a clear picture. Souza and the men allegedly refused to pull over for the police. Oliveira and Dietrich later detained the men for driving their motorcycles under the influence. At some point, two other police officers arrived. The incident started to escalate after Oliveira pushed Souza several times. After looking in the direction of the arriving officers, Oliveira suddenly punched Souza in the head. He was knocked out cold and fell to the ground. Oliveira allegedly also called Souza garbage and the N-word.
Souza appeared not to move, and his friends went to him, but the officers kept them back before the video ends. Souza was taken to the Caieras Hospital before being booked. Souza and the other men were charged with public intoxication, resisting arrest, and disobedience. The men were all fined and released. The amount was not made public.
The video stops recording after Souza is knocked out because one of the officers allegedly took the cellphone and dumped it in a trash can. It was later recovered. It’s unclear if the person recording was acquainted with Souza and the other men or if they were a passerby.
Elizeu Soares investigates complaints against maladministration for the military police in São Paulo. Soares said that Souza was a victim of racism.
“Everything indicates that the policemen committed the crime of abuse of authority and bodily injury, with the unnecessary aggression perpetrated by one of the policemen,” said Soares. “There are details indicative of the crime of racism by the policemen. In my opinion, the way the police approached those being questioned is because they are Black. They have no motivation for approaching them.”
The Department of Military Policy Internal Affairs opened an investigation into Dietrich and Oliveira. Oliveira has been assigned to desk duty during the investigation and was summoned for bodily injury against Souza.