Videomonitoramento e letalidade policial: o uso de evidências em vídeo em casos de condenação de policiais militares no Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

This research seeks to understand the role of video surveillance evidence in cases involving the conviction of military police officers for homicides committed in Rio de Janeiro between 2014 and 2015. The defined period of investigation, with cases beginning between 2014 and 2015 and ending in 2017 and 2023, was marked by high police lethality that did not translate into greater accountability for officers. On the contrary, it was perceived how state policies endorsed the practice of homicide by police officers as necessary for public safety. To understand how video surveillance images were crucial in holding officers accountable, considered rare in Rio de Janeiro, three case studies were conducted that meticulously reconstruct the dynamics of events based on criminal proceedings. The theoretical framework that shapes this research articulates discussions on police lethality, police impunity, video surveillance, the construction of counter-narratives, stigmatization, and contributions from the field of law to understand the valuation of evidence. The methodology is based on a combination of case studies and documentary analysis of criminal proceedings, supported by the analysis of complementary sources such as news reports and a documentary. The objective of this investigation is to reduce the gap in studies on video surveillance and police lethality by seeking to present the possibilities of using such images to convict police officers, thus contributing to discussions on video surveillance evidence and its possible uses with other elements of evidence to get closer to the truth of the facts. The findings of this research demonstrate that there is a positive appreciation and acceptability of video surveillance images as evidence. It is identified that this is possibly due to the understanding of the objectivity and neutrality of video surveillance images, something that is not observed with evidence produced by smartphones in most cases. Another important finding is the construction of a police narrative that justifies homicide, despite being filmed, which indicates that police officers may seek ways to suppress such evidence or are indifferent to this fact, betting on impunity as a rule. Finally, another fundamental finding of this research is how images are used in the construction of counter-narratives to the police version, which tends to criminalize and blame the victims posthumously.