PM claims that body camera was unloaded after confrontation with death in Operation Summer | Santos and Region

Cesar Augusto de Jesus Santos was killed last Friday (29) by police officers from the Special Police Actions Battalion (BAEP). Based on the police report (BO), the police noticed the armed young man at an intersection, with a bag and a radio. He allegedly tried to escape by pointing the revolver at the agents, who reacted with five shots from a rifle and four shots from another weapon not mentioned.

The same police report contains the sergeant’s statement that the body camera was unloaded. Given the situation, the g1 contacted the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP) about the PM sergeant’s statement to the Civil Police, with questions about the equipment and the action, but the department did not respond about the cameras.

The reporting team, however, provided details about the equipment used by the police. A PM, who did not want to be identified, reported that the agents receive the cameras with a full charge at the beginning of the working day. (see below)

Regarding the case, the SSP-SP responded only that the images captured in actions are provided as requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and are part of the body of evidence collected by the Civil Police in the investigation of each episode of death resulting from police intervention.

Yet according to foldersame in case of proven battery discharge during the activity or technical problem that prevents full capture, the audit trails and available images are forwarded to the competent body.

The cameras attached to the chest of the São Paulo police officers’ uniforms are from the Axon brand. As determined by g1based on the manufacturer’s data, the battery lasts up to 12 hours.

A military police officer from Baixada Santista, who preferred not to be identified, told the reporting team that agents already receive charged cameras at the beginning of their shift. It records uninterruptedly and, when the service is finished, the PM returns it so it can be charged again.

The administrative team of the battalions, according to the PM heard by the g1, are responsible for loading. “She [câmera] there is a system that downloads all the images she takes during the service”, said the agent.

• The cameras are fixed close to the agents’ chest and allow a privileged angle for capturing images at the appropriate height;
• In this position, it is possible to record “events of interest, such as the capture of most of the bodies of people with whom police officers interact, in addition to capturing regions of interest to police action, especially their hands”;
• The fixation is strong enough to prevent the camera from falling out of uniforms in more critical situations, such as jumping over walls and lying on the ground.

According to the report by the Brazilian Public Security Forum, the São Paulo PM cameras record images and sounds captured uninterruptedly.

• The data (images and sounds) obtained without triggering the recording are called routine videos by the police;
• Those obtained by the police officer’s purposeful action are called intentional videos;
• To reduce costs, the image resolution of routine videos is lower than that of intentional videos – and they do not store ambient sound;
• Routine videos are archived for 90 days;
• The intentional ones are stored for 1 year;
• Police officers on duty can only remove their COPs at rare times (to go to the bathroom and eat meals, for example).

BAEP agents were carrying out patrols to combat drug trafficking, around 3:50 pm on Friday (29), when, according to the SSP-SP, they saw Cesar Augusto de Jesus Santos, 22 years old, armed at the intersection of Rua Marilucia dos Santos Brito with Maurício de Lourenço.

According to the police report, the suspect had a bag and a radio communicator in his hands. And, upon noticing the presence of the agents, he allegedly pointed the gun at the team and prepared to flee. The police officers retaliated.

The reporting team found that one of the police officers fired five shots with a rifle, while a second fired four more shots with another, unspecified weapon. The Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) was called at around 4:15 pm and confirmed the death at the scene.

According to the SSP-SP, a radio communicator, a pistol and 379 portions of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, crack and hashish, which were inside the bag, were seized next to César. The case was registered as drug trafficking, illegal possession or carrying of a firearm, death resulting from police intervention and self-defense at the Guarujá Headquarters Police Station.

Video shows the Rota PM being shot in the face in an alley on the coast of SP

Operation Shield was launched in the region after the death of Rota MP Patrick Bastos Reis, in July 2023. On that occasion, the agent was shot while patrolling in Guarujá (SP).

In the 40 days of action, according to SSP-SP, 958 people were arrested and 28 suspects died in alleged clashes with police. Since the beginning of the action, institutions and authorities that defend human rights have called for an end to the operation.