Body camera footage worn by two military police officers shows the moment Wesley dos Reis, 41, was shot during a stop in the southern zone of São Paulo. The footage, obtained by Brazilian outlet G1, indicates the shot was fired before officers issued a formal order to stop and that the patrol car had been following the motorcycle with its siren off. The case is being investigated by the Homicide and Person Protection Department (DHPP) and by the Military Police's own internal affairs unit.
According to the incident record, the shooting happened on July 5. Wesley was riding home from his granddaughter's second birthday party, about two kilometers away, when officers Lucas Benitelli da Costa and Héctor Luiz de Macedo began tailing two motorcycles during a routine patrol. Wesley was a passenger on one bike; his wife, Pâmela, and the couple's son were riding the other. The footage shows the officers discussing over the radio that one license plate appeared partially covered and reporting a possible vehicle fleeing, still without activating the siren.
The recording shows officers ordering Wesley to stop his motorcycle, and almost simultaneously, Héctor fired the shot that hit him in the chest. The patrol car's siren was only turned on after the shot. Wesley was taken to a hospital but did not survive. Officers briefly followed the motorcycle carrying Pâmela and their son before returning to where Wesley had fallen.
Conflicting accounts of the stop
Speaking to the civil police, the officers said the two motorcycles matched the description of vehicles reportedly used in robberies in the area, based on what they described as operational intelligence, and that the partially covered plate reinforced their suspicion. According to Lucas and Héctor's account, as the patrol car approached and the stop order was given, Wesley made a movement to raise one hand, which was covered by his jacket sleeve, leading them to fear he might be reaching for or aiming a weapon. Héctor says he fired a single shot in response. No weapon has been reported as found with the victim in accounts released so far. Under Brazilian law, both officers remain under investigation and have not been formally charged; they are legally presumed innocent unless charges are filed and proven in court.
The driver of the motorcycle carrying Wesley gave police a different account. He said he heard tires screech and someone shout "stop, stop," and when he looked over, he heard the gunshot and saw Wesley fall. Frightened, he sped away, believing at first that it was a robbery. Wesley's sister, Grazieli, said her nephew, the victim's son, witnessed part of the scene and told the family the officers "never actually approached" or "formally ordered him to stop," they simply shot. "By the time they look over, that's how long it takes him to shoot," Grazieli said.
In a statement to TV Globo's local newscast SP1, São Paulo's Public Security Secretariat confirmed both the civil and military police are investigating the case and that, according to the police report, the officers say they fired because one of the motorcycle passengers appeared to be reaching for a weapon while fleeing a stop. The secretariat said the body camera footage is now being reviewed by DHPP and the Military Police's internal affairs office to clarify the facts, and that Costa and Macedo have been pulled from street duty and are on administrative assignment in the meantime. Neither officer had been formally charged as of the footage's release, and the investigation continues with no announced date for conclusion.