The sergeant (), the most voted councilor in , is accused by the Amazonas Public Ministry of having fired six shots at a man who had participated in a robbery at a bus stop, in June 2019, while he was off duty, according to a complaint obtained for the Sheet.
Salazar became famous for publishing videos of police routines on social media. He was elected with 22,594 votes and received the support of (). A military inquiry also concluded, in September 2024, that he committed abuse of authority and breach of discipline by publishing images of a detention.
When contacted, the councilor stated that he was acquitted in all other cases in which he was cited. He said he would defend himself on his networks and that he would sue the newspaper if there was fake news. His lawyer, who identifies himself only as Carioca, responded that “the professional who works on the street is doomed to have lawsuits.”
Salazar was denounced for a week after being elected. The prosecution says he was in his car, without uniform, when he saw an armed man stealing a woman’s purse and then fleeing with an accomplice who was driving a motorcycle. The councilor then chased both and collided with the motorcycle, knocking the pair to the ground.
Then he got out of the car, ran after them and shot. One of the men, Felipe Kevin de Oliveira Costa, 27, died, while the other fled.
When giving testimony, the sergeant said he acted in accordance with the law. He stated that the passenger fired two shots at him during the car chase, that the motorcycle fell and that, when he ran to stop them, the man shot a third time. He then retaliated, saying he didn’t remember how many shots he fired.
The investigation, however, indicates that Felipe Kevin was not the armed robber and there is no mention of an exchange of gunfire. No weapon was found when police arrived at the scene, and the woman who had her purse stolen reported that the deceased was not the one who had robbed her.
Furthermore, the images indicate that the car and motorcycle arrived from different directions before colliding. When questioned, Salazar said through his lawyer that “the gun was with the person who fled”, which differs from what he had said in his statement, and he did not explain why he did not go to the police station that day.
Considering this case, the councilor has already been cited as the author in at least 24 investigations or legal actions since 2009, mostly for military crimes, but also for abuse of authority and at least three other homicides.
According to a survey carried out by the Court of Justice of Amazonas at the request of Sheet17 of these cases are no longer being processed: 4 were time-barred, 6 ended in acquittal and 7 were archived, mainly due to lack of evidence. The other 7 are in progress.
Another survey, carried out by Salazar’s defense, says that only four are still active. His lawyer states that, “as he has always worked on the street, the number of cases is not that relevant, as there was no conviction in any of them.” He also sent a form with 45 compliments from superiors.
When contacted, the Amazonas PM did not answer how many administrative procedures had already been opened against Salazar. He only stated that “they follow the deadlines and procedures established by the institutions and laws in force” and that the sergeant was placed in the corporation reserve as soon as he was certified as a councilor.
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