Brazil police investigate police involvement in vigilante death squad

Published November 17, 2014

SAO PAULO (AP) — Law enforcement officials say they are investigating whether a police officer headed a squad of vigilantes that killed 21 people over a six-year period in southeastern Brazil.

Death squads that include off-duty police have been accused of acting as vigilante groups in many Brazilian cities at the behest of local merchants.

Carlos Livino is a spokesman for the Public Safety Department of Minas Gerais state. He says the group apparently carried out killings between 2004 and 2009 in the state capital of Belo Horizonte.

It is unclear how big the death squad was or if other police officers were part of it.

He said Thursday that the officer suspected of heading the group was temporarily removed from his duties pending investigation.

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