Shocking Video Shows Cop Throwing Man Off Bridge During Traffic Stop
Photo Courtesy by CNN Brazil
A shocking video 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, captured on camera and leaked on social media, has left the nation reeling and prompted an immediate investigation.
The footage shows Military Police officer Luan Pereira, 29, confronting Marcelo do Amaral, 25, who was stopped for riding a motorcycle without license plates on Monday. The video reveals Pereira grabbing do Amaral by the shirt and leading him to the edge of a bridge. Without warning, Pereira lifts one of do Amaral’s legs and hurls him off the bridge, as fellow officers stand by and watch.
Witnesses reported to Brazilian news outlet Metropoles that do Amaral fell into a stream below the bridge but managed to climb out on his own. He walked up a hill where a friend met him and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The incident unfolded after a police chase involving several motorcyclists. The police report indicated that the chase led officers to the Vila Clara neighborhood, where a party was underway. According to the report, partygoers began to throw bottles and rocks at the police, prompting them to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd. During the chaos, one person was reportedly shot, but the police report did not mention the moment Pereira threw do Amaral off the bridge.
Witnesses also shared that do Amaral questioned the officer about the delay in his delivery order and expressed concern about losing his motorcycle. His father, Antonio do Amaral, spoke to Jornal Nacional, condemning the officer’s actions. “He’s fine, but we haven’t been able to talk to him. It’s 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 record, nothing. I want an explanation from this police officer and why he did this.”
The Military Police immediately removed Pereira and 12 other officers from duty as part of the ongoing investigation. São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas condemned the actions, saying, “The São Paulo Military Police 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.”
São Paulo Attorney General Paolo Costa also expressed outrage, calling the act “shocking and absolutely unacceptable.” He stated that a special task force would lead the investigation, emphasizing 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 per 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 that he acted in self-defense.
This latest incident has reignited debates over police brutality in Brazil, with many demanding accountability for officers who misuse their authority.
