Off-Duty Brazilian Police Officer Shoots Armed Robber Dead

Shocking footage has emerged from Brazil of an off-duty policeman shooting a would-be robber dead as he attempted to hold up a bar. The scenes were captured on CCTV, as you can see.

WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

In the video, a robber is clearly visible, walking up to the bar and producing a Taurus pistol and asking for the contents of the cash register. The thief, who appears to be middle-aged, attempts to take the cash, but the worker isn't going to hand it over.

The criminal then shows his gun to other customers in the bar, causing a group of women to flee and others to take cover. As the thief has his back to the entrance, however, a pistol-wielding customer sneaks up behind him and shoots him several times in the chest, causing him to fall forwards onto the bar and then slump to the floor.

The gunman, later revealed to be an off-duty police officer, then maintains his focus on the fallen robber, keeping his firearm trained on the man until he is completely on the ground. He then removes the thief's weapon and takes it away.

The thief died at the scene of his wounds and was later named as Giovane Carlos, a 46-year-old with a long history of criminal activity. Police in Cosmopolis said that he had previous convictions for robbery and causing bodily harm.

They also said that he had an accomplice outside of the bar, who fled when the shots were fired and is yet to be apprehended.

Brazil is ravaged by violent crime, especially robbery. The murder rate is among the highest in the world, and, along with Colombia and South Africa, much higher than any other large country.

According to the most recent statistics, there were 55,574 intentional homicides in Brazil in 2015, a rate of 26.74 per 100,000 people. Put into context, that is over five times the rate of murders in the United States and 25 times that of the rate in the United Kingdom.

Most of the crime is centred on the north of the country - the major cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero are in the southeast - but even then, the murder rate in Sao Paulo is still triple that of the United States.

Outwith murder, the statistics for robbery and kidnapping are also very high compared to Europe, particularly in and around the big cities.

Featured Image Credit: CEN

Topics: World News, crime, Brazil

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]