The Military Police for the State of Rio de Janeiro has been using lethal force in an unnecessary, excessive and arbitrary way. Between 2005 and 2014, 5,132 people were killed by police officers on duty in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The majority of the victims were young black men living in favelas.
Extrajudicial executions during Military Police operations are still frequent. In general, the official records of those killings named as “homicides resulting from police intervention” describe a context of confrontation where the police reacted in self-defense. The cases are rarely investigated to determine whether the use of lethal force was necessary and proportionate. Lack of impartial and efficient investigations allow those records to be used as a smokescreen to hide extrajudicial executions. Other human rights violations such as threats and intimidation of witnesses and human rights defenders fuel the cycle of violence and impunity.