Portugal’s Public Prosecution Service has called for the conviction of a Public Security Police (PSP) officer charged over the fatal shooting of Odair Moniz in the Cova da Moura neighbourhood, in the Lisbon metropolitan area, in October 2024, arguing that the officer did not act in self-defence.
During closing arguments in the trial of officer Bruno Pinto, accused of homicide, the prosecutor maintained that the court should consider it unproven that Moniz had been carrying a knife or attempted to attack the officer with one.
“There are no circumstances that justify the defendant’s conduct,” the prosecutor told the court, adding that, in addition to a conviction for homicide, punishable by between eight and 16 years in prison, Bruno Pinto should also be barred from serving in the Polícia de Segurança Pública.
According to the prosecution, although Odair Moniz resisted arrest by two PSP officers and allegedly assaulted them, the situation did not amount to “any scenario of extreme violence” that would justify lethal force.
The argument of self-defence, central to the officer’s defence strategy, was firmly rejected by prosecutors, who dispute claims that Moniz threatened officers with a knife.
At Monday’s hearing at the Sintra court, the final witness, Polícia Judiciária chief inspector Cláudia Soares, stated unequivocally that, in her assessment, no bladed weapon had been involved.
“It is my conviction that there was no knife,” she told the court.
Explaining her conclusion, the investigator noted that no weapon was visible when the victim fell to the ground, that there were no forensic traces of the alleged knife, and that early accounts of the incident made no mention of a weapon. She also stressed that surveillance footage does not show Odair Moniz wielding a knife at any point.
The case has drawn significant public attention in Portugal, raising questions about police use of force, and relations in urban neighbourhoods.
Source: LUSA
