Highway Police told to reinstate human rights classes after officers kill man

The Prosecutor General’s Office in Goiás requested that the Federal Highway Police (PRF) reinstate classes on human rights for officers, after three marshals in the northeastern state of Sergipe killed a 38-year-old man. 

After being pulled over for riding a motorcycle without a helmet, Genivaldo Santos (who relatives say was mentally ill) was locked inside the trunk of a police car. Agents then threw a tear gas bomb inside — killing Mr. Santos by asphyxiation.

Prosecutors ask civil servants caught in illegal activities to retake the course, which should focus on policing techniques in approaching vulnerable groups, such as those with mental illnesses as well as black and peripheral populations.

The request, published on Monday, is a response to the outrage triggered by Santos’ killing. Protests happened in at least two state capitals over the weekend — and the UN demanded speedy investigations. Earlier in May, the PRF shut down its Human Rights Committees — a move which had already been questioned by prosecutors.

The PRF has changed how it has publicly dealt with the case — first dismissing it as a “fatality” but later performing a U-turn following massive backlash. Yesterday, the force released a video in which head of institutional communications Marcos Territo said the case was seen “with indignation” and that the “methods used are not in accordance with the PRF guidelines.”

• #humanRights
• #violence