Military Police Officers to Face Jury Trial for Medical Student's Death in São Paulo

Jury Trial Ordered for São Paulo Military Police Officers

Two military police officers in São Paulo, Guilherme Augusto Macedo and Bruno Carvalho do Prado, are set to face a popular jury trial for the death of medical student Marco Aurélio Cardenas Acosta. The decision was rendered on February 23, 2026, by Justice Luiza Torggler Silva of the 4th Jury Court. Acosta, 22, was fatally shot in November 2024 in front of a hotel in the Vila Mariana neighborhood, located in the South Zone of São Paulo.

The officers are accused of qualified homicide, specifically for 'motivo torpe' (base motive) and 'recurso que dificulta a defesa da vítima' (means that hinders the victim's defense). Despite the ruling, both officers will await trial in freedom, a point of contention for Acosta's family.

Details of the Fatal Incident

The incident occurred in the early hours of November 20, 2024. According to investigations, Marco Aurélio Cardenas Acosta reportedly tapped the rearview mirror of the police vehicle occupied by Macedo and Prado. The officers then pursued the student into the hotel where he was staying. During the approach, Acosta, who was unarmed, allegedly resisted. Officer Guilherme Augusto Macedo subsequently fired a shot at close range, hitting Acosta in the abdomen.

Body camera footage from the officers reportedly captured Marco Aurélio repeatedly saying, 'Tira a mão de mim!' ('Get your hand off me!'). Reports also indicate that Macedo provided several conflicting accounts of the events before the official police report was filed.

Family's Quest for Justice and Ongoing Concerns

The family of Marco Aurélio Cardenas Acosta, represented by lawyers Pedro Medeiros Muniz and Nikolas Limas Pessoa Dias, welcomed the decision to send the case to a jury trial as 'a decisive step towards justice.' However, they expressed 'profound indignation and nonconformity' that the accused officers remain free. The family's legal team stated, 'The freedom of these agents represents a manifest risk to public order and a direct affront to the memory of Marco Aurélio and the pain of his family. We will not rest until they await the final verdict behind bars.'

The family continues to advocate for the preventive detention of the officers and their expulsion from the military police force. The officers are currently suspended from operational duties but remain employed and receive their salaries. In December 2025, the Universidade Anhembi-Morumbi posthumously awarded Marco Aurélio his medical diploma.

Defense's Position and Broader Context

João Carlos Campanini, the lawyer representing the military police officers, stated that the defense respects the court's decision but intends to appeal. Campanini highlighted that the judge 'narrated not having certainty of the facts' and argued that in cases of legitimate defense, 'the law dictates that doubt should lead to the acquittal of the accused.'

Further scrutiny has been placed on the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Marco Aurélio was transported to Hospital Ipiranga, which was reportedly overcrowded and had a closed emergency room, lacking essential equipment like a tomograph to locate the bullet. The family has also taken their fight for accountability to an international level, appealing to the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding the escalation of police lethality in Brazil.