Killed in SP police action, Senegalese man fell from a building on his son’s birthday

Serigne Mourtalla Mbaye, better known as Talla, died last Tuesday (24/5), in the center of São Paulo; protest demanded justice and less violent actions from the PM against African immigrants

Serigne Mourtalla Mbaye, aged 38, died on Tuesday (23/4), the same day her son Baye Mbaye turned three. The Senegalese had lived in Brazil for almost three years. In São Paulo, he lived in the Japurá building, on Rua Guaianases, in the center of the capital. “He lived to work and support his family”, says a friend who does not believe the police version of the death. According to the Military Police, Talla, the foreigner’s nickname, fell from the 6th floor during a police raid in the building. “Why would he do that?” asked the friend.

Senegalese and Africans of other nationalities protested after Talla’s death on Thursday afternoon (25/4). The group left Guaianases Street, in front of the building where the immigrant died, and went to the headquarters of the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP), at Praça Ouvidor Pacheco e Silva.

Carrying a banner with a photo of Talla and his two children — Baye and Mogaye Mbay, aged three and five, respectively —, protesters walk through the center of São Paulo demanding a response to the death. “Justice for Talla!”, they repeated.

At the SSP-SP headquarters, two representatives of the group and lawyer Edson de Jesus Santos, who is following the case, were received by the department’s chief of staff, Mauro Cezar dos Santos Ricciarelli.

At the meeting, said Senegalese Mame Balla Niang, 31 years old, an investigation into Talla’s death was requested. It was said that the police officers did not have a warrant and, even so, they entered his apartment. A less hostile stance was also demanded from the Military Police towards the African community in São Paulo. “We told him that we suffer police violence in Brás and Guaianases when we are working. Now, we wait for a response”, says Mame.

A bridge He contacted the SSP-SP asking about the meeting and possible directions from it. In a note, the secretariat reported that it listened to the group’s demands and spoke about the progress of the Civil and Military police investigations into the case.

PMs entered without a warrant

Talla’s death was registered at the 2nd DP of Bom Retiro. In testimony, Lieutenant Fernando Adriano Lopes and police officer Felipe dos Reis said that they found three men “in a suspicious attitude” in front of the building. Nothing was found with the trio, who were released.

Still according to the police officers’ version, one of the young people said that illegal cell phone sales were being carried out in one of the apartments. Without a warrant, the police entered the building. When they arrived on the 6th floor, the police said they saw an apartment light on and, through the crack in the door, they saw that there was someone there. The pair reported having asked to enter the apartment, but were not answered. With no response, they entered and arrested a man who, according to the police, was trying to escape through the window.

In the PMs’ version, Talla was in the apartment’s marquee when they entered. They reportedly asked him to stop, but Talla allegedly tried to hang from the lower floor awning and fell. The Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) went to the scene and confirmed the death.

For friends, the illegality of the police action contributed to Talla’s death. A resident of the building who preferred not to be identified said that, upon seeing the young man on the floor, one of the police officers said: “the trash fell”. “He was a very good person. I’m very afraid of what could happen after that”, says the resident, who did not want to be identified.

The case was registered by delegate Sandro W. Tavares Távora as an accidental death. The police report shows the seizure of 44 cell phones.

Wake in Senegal

Talla came to Brazil to work. First, he lived in Caxias do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul, and then moved to São Paulo. He sold clothes and didn’t like spending too much time away from home, says his friend Junior Diop, 38 years old. The two met in the south of the country.

The Senegalese was the one who supported the family. The two children live in the United States with their mother. All the money he received was sent to cover the children’s expenses. “And now, what is the family going to do? He will go hungry, because there will be no one else to help his family”, laments Júnior.

He says that his friend liked listening to music from his homeland, eating Senegalese food and, on weekends, spending time with his compatriots to remember and talk about the African country. “He was a very good guy. He always laughed,” he says.

Help the Bridge!

In addition to the search for justice, the friends come together to arrange for the body to be transferred to Senegal. They want Talla to be buried where he was born. “We want him to stay in our land”, says Júnior.

What the authorities say

A bridge He contacted the SSP-SP asking about the meeting this Thursday (25), about the police version of the death being contested and requesting an interview with the military police officers involved. The department responded only about the meeting:

The Military Police accompanied the demonstration held this Thursday (25), in the central region of the Capital. Representatives of the group were received by members of the Public Security Secretariat. During the conversation, the protesters presented their demands and were informed about the progress of the Civil and Military police investigations into the case.