Brazil: Police officer ordered arrested for medical student's murder, domestic violence allegations

A São Paulo court has ordered the preventive arrest of military police officer Bruno Carvalho do Prado, one of the defendants in the 2024 killing of medical student Marco Aurélio Cardenas Acosta. Acosta was fatally shot during a police stop in the Vila Mariana neighborhood of São Paulo. In February, a judge had already decided that Prado and his colleague, Guilherme Augusto Macedo, would face a jury trial for qualified homicide. Both officers had been released pending trial, facing charges of murder motivated by base reasons and using means that hindered the victim's defense. The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Luiza Torggler Silva following a request from the victim's family's legal representation and a favorable opinion from the Public Prosecutor's Office. The decision cites an ongoing investigation into alleged domestic violence offenses, including threats and assault, committed by Prado against his wife. The judge stated that these new criminal allegations, combined with the severity of the homicide charge, pose a risk to public order and indicate the officer's social dangerousness. The order mandates the immediate issuance of the arrest warrant and the seizure of firearms in Prado's possession. The victim's family's lawyers had argued that Prado violated the terms of his release and that previous precautionary measures were insufficient. Their petition detailed accusations from Prado's wife, who reported persistent death threats over the past two years, including statements that he would kill her and send her to Ceará. She also described an incident in April where he allegedly caused bruises and she fled her home fearing for her safety after requesting a separation. The wife contacted the Military Police after Prado went to retrieve his firearm. Acosta was shot at close range on October 20, 2024, after an interaction involving a police vehicle. He had reportedly tapped the vehicle's side mirror before entering a hotel, where officers Macedo and Prado pursued him. Video footage shows Macedo pointing a firearm and attempting to grab Acosta, while Prado kicked him. Macedo then fired the shot that struck Acosta in the abdomen. Acosta was taken to Hospital Ipiranga but died from his injuries; the hospital reportedly lacked adequate equipment at the time.