Pre-candidate for the state government went to the store to collect product and the fight escalated to slaps, bites and knife threats
The pre-candidate for the government of Minas Gerais and digital influencer (Missão) and a manager physically attacked each other inside a finishing store in Betim, Greater BH. The episode took place on Friday (13 March 2026). Mendes published excerpts from the video showing the on his official Instagram profile.
The conflict began after a Mendes employee was prevented from collecting merchandise without a purchasing guide. The influencer entered the establishment to question the retention, starting an argument that escalated to violence. According to the a he sent the 2 to medical care at UPA Norte and then took them to the police station.
The establishment’s security cameras also recorded part of the confrontation. The images show the manager slapping the influencer and then receiving a slap in the face.
In the images it is possible to see the manager throwing a chair at Mendes, throwing other objects, kicking and biting him. It is also possible to see a man holding Ben Mendes by his shirt and tearing it.
In other excerpts, the manager appears saying: “Take a knife for me, I’m going to kill him now”.
According to Mendes, he will talk about the case in a report that will be published on Monday (16 March).
Watch the video (1min11):
O Poder360 tried to contact Ben Mendes about the case, but there was no response until the publication of this report.
TESTIMONIALS
According to the G1Ben Mendes told the Military Police that he only defended himself during the confrontation. The manager stated that the conflict began because the customer became excited when informed about the need to present the purchase guide, classifying the procedure as the establishment’s standard.
Ben Mendes presented a different version to the Military Police and stated that he tried to talk peacefully with the employees. He reported that the manager was excited when she recognized him because of a report made at the location about two years ago. The woman refused to hand over the merchandise and demanded he leave the store, according to the report.
The manager told the PM that she called the corporation after being threatened. She stated that there was mutual pushing and aggression during the disagreement. The woman accused the influencer of taking the cell phone of an employee who was filming the argument and throwing the device on the floor. The manager claimed to have been ready to refund the purchase price, a proposal that was reportedly denied by Ben Mendes.
In the store employee’s report, she stated that Ben Mendes’ employee returned to the establishment several times and that, on the last occasion, he began to argue with the manager while recording the situation. The witness stated that there was an exchange of insults and that the influencer tried to take his cell phone, which fell to the floor.
Ben Mendes’ employee said that the manager started to mention an episode of the Ronda do Consumidor program recorded at the establishment when recognizing the boss. He stated that the woman began the attacks with slaps, pushes and bites.
As it was an infraction with less offensive potential, the 2 were taken to register a TCO (Detailed Term of Occurrence). The influencer did not want to sign the document, according to the PM. Those involved were taken to a police station to be interviewed.
According to the report, the Civil Police initiated a procedure to “carrying out preliminary investigations in order to determine the facts” and completed: “The case is being investigated, and other information may be released at an appropriate time, so as not to harm the progress of the investigative work”.
Benoni Benjamin Cardoso Mendes is a lawyer, businessman, journalist and medical student. He has almost 500 thousand followers on Instagram. He produces content about consumer rights on YouTube, a platform where he has almost 2 million subscribers.
In February 2026, he launched his pre-candidacy for the government of Minas Gerais through the Missão party, from the (Free Brazil Movement). In 2025, he was caught attacking a motorcyclist during a traffic fight in Betim.
