- Two men staged a fake robbery in São Paulo, thinking it was a prank, which resulted in a serious shooting incident.
- An off-duty police officer, believing it was a real threat, shot both men, who were later hospitalized in critical condition.
- Authorities are investigating the incident to determine if the officer's use of force was justified under Brazilian law.
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — Less than two weeks after a Florida woman who shot and killed an unarmed Army veteran in a Walmart parking lot claimed self-defense in a case that sparked a national debate over when deadly force is justified, another self-defense shooting is making headlines. This time the location is Brazil, the shooter was an off-duty cop, and the two people who got shot had no one to blame but themselves. They thought staging a fake robbery was funny. It was not.
A Prank With No Thought Behind It
The two men, aged 21 and 36, worked at a car wash near a dealership in São Paulo. On July 14, they decided to pull a prank on their coworkers at the dealership. They climbed on a motorcycle, rode to the business, and walked in announcing what looked and sounded exactly like a robbery. One of them even pretended to be carrying a weapon.
What they did not know was that an off-duty civil police officer happened to be inside the dealership at that moment.
The officer had no reason to think it was anything other than what it looked like. A robbery. With a weapon. Unfolding right in front of him.
He drew his firearm and shot both men.
Both Men Survived. Barely.
Both men were taken to a local hospital conscious but in serious condition. The 21-year-old was shot in the abdomen. The 36-year-old was struck in the chest.
After the shooting, the officer realized what had just happened. He called emergency services immediately, stayed at the scene, and gave both men first aid while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Now Under Investigation
Brazilian authorities registered the case as bodily injury resulting from police intervention and self-defense. The officer has not been identified publicly. Brazil's Civil Police Internal Affairs division has opened a review of the incident and is examining security camera footage from inside the dealership to reconstruct exactly what happened.
The key legal question investigators are working through is whether the officer's response was reasonable given what he believed to be true in that moment. Under Brazilian law, as in most countries, a person acting in genuine self-defense in response to what they reasonably believe is an imminent armed threat can use force to protect themselves or others.
The problem, of course, is that there was no real threat. There was no real weapon. There was no robbery. There were just two men whose idea of a funny prank ended with both of them on stretchers.
Neither man's condition has been updated since their arrival at the hospital.
To view more cases of shocking incidents and accidents caught on camera, check out our video here:
