Death of officer echoes Brazilian film

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The Brazilian film ‘Tropa de Elite’ (Elite Squad) has already caused a sensation, with its dark and brutal depictions of corrupt police and drug trafficking in the no-go favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

Now comes word that a prison guard was killed during a screening of the film at a multiplex in the northern city of Recife. Witnesses reported hearing a shot at the climactic end of the film. Authorities suspect suicide, reports Folha de S. Paulo. The officer was under investigation in an alleged drug corruption case.

In an interview with Folha de S. Paulo, the film’s director, José Padilha, sends condolences to the prison guard’s family. He says he doubts the film had anything to do with the shooting. The director urges police officers moved by the film to seek help and share their feelings with others.

Posted by Marcelo Soares and Patrick J. McDonnell in São Paulo, Brazil