A policeman was shot dead by his neighbour over a £42 debt after a handshake.
CCTV footage shows how Rafael Rodrigues Novais and his neighbour greeted each other with a handclasp yesterday (6 Feb).
The latter looked at his phone and waited for Novais to avert his gaze.
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He then drew a pistol hidden in his waistband and shot the policeman at point-blank range, causing him to fall in a heap.
The gunman continued shooting him in the side of the head in front of a shocked bystander, who ran away.
He then stomped on the policeman’s dropped phone before fleeing on foot and leaving him to die.
Novais, 32, was off duty when he was brutally killed in front of his home in São Paulo, Brazil.
It’s believed his neighbour, identified as André Leandro de Souza Malta, shot him over a money dispute.
Those who knew the policeman say the 29-year-old owed him 500 BRL ($42) after breaking his wing mirror on 5 January.
After finding the mirror on the street, Novais decided to check the footage from a nearby CCTV camera.
In the footage, he had spotted Malta leaning on the mirror, causing it to break off.
The policeman’s brother and friends say Malta had arranged to meet Novais, ostensibly to settle his debt.
They believe he was pretending to make a transfer on his phone when he pulled the gun and opened fire.
At least seven shots were fired at Novais, who was airlifted to a hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.
The police caught up with Malta, who had shaved his head in a failed bid to avoid being recognised.
The authorities say he opened fire, prompting officers to fire back and kill him.
Novais had been a policeman for eight years, as reported by Need To Know.
He was also popular on social media for his cop-related content, boasting more than 130,000 followers, friends, and subscribers across his accounts.
His friend Marcelo Campos told local media: “Wherever he went, he won everyone over.
“He loved dancing, joking around, having fun, and playing football.
“He was always helping people.
“Even as a police officer, he sometimes felt sorry for the guys he arrested because he could see that many had ended up in crime due to tough social circumstances.”
Novais will be laid to rest in São Paulo today (7 Feb).
The 4th Metropolitan Military Police Battalion, where he had served since 2021, paid tribute to him in a statement.
It said: “More than just an exemplary Military Police officer, Soldier R. Novais was a source of inspiration for the communities he served.
“His dedication to public safety and respect for the people made him a role model, especially for children who saw him as a true hero.
“With his integrity and commitment to public service, he built bonds of trust and hope, becoming a symbol of dedication and courage to everyone around him.”
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