Videos show the moment when Bope PM shoots and kills Herus during an operation in Santo Amaro, in the South Zone of Rio "We would just like to know why the laws don't apply to police officers. My son was killed with rifle shots, and the PM who did this is still free and at large. It's impossible to understand." The outburst comes from office assistant Fernando Guimarães, father of office boy Herus Guimarães Mendes da Conceição, aged 23, who was murdered 1 year ago by a military police officer from the Special Police Operations Battalion (BOPE). In the early hours of June 7, 2025, the elite troops of the RJ Military Police had climbed Morro Santo Amaro, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, for an operation. At the time, the community's traditional June festival was taking place. On February 4, 8 months after the boy's death, the RJ Court accepted the complaint from the Public Ministry of Rio (MPRJ) and made 1st Sergeant Daniel Sousa da Silva and 1st Lieutenant Felippe Carlos de Souza Martins defendants for murder. Daniel was the only police officer to fire shots at the scene. He shot 13 times. g1 didn't find their defense. Until the last update of this report, the Court had not yet determined whether the military would go to a popular jury. There was also no date set for trial. The state government has committed to paying compensation for moral damages to family members and a monthly pension to Herus's 3-year-old son, Theo, until he turns 18 — or 24, if he is enrolled in a higher education institution. Herus Guimarães Mendes leaves behind a 3-year-old son Family Archive No excuses Even so, Fernando says he never received an apology. "Honestly, what can we expect from the other side [the police]? Nothing. We, who are on this side, have no security at all. The police officer who authorized the raid that killed my son was caught months earlier inside the house of a resident in Maré. The same PM." The police officer mentioned by Fernando is Lieutenant Felippe Martins, who commanded the Bope operation that killed Herus. Felippe and 9 other colleagues were reported by the MPRJ for violating their residence, failing to fulfill their mission and refusing to obey during an operation in Complexo da Maré, in the North Zone of Rio, on January 10, 2025. According to the complaint from the Public Security Specialized Action Group (Gaesp/MPRJ) — filed in April this year —, on the day of the action, the agents clandestinely entered 13 residences in Nova Holanda, in some cases using a master key or breaking down the door, without authorization from the residents or a court order. According to the MPRJ, some of the police officers also failed to carry out their mission of incursion and stabilization to remain inside the properties, where they slept, used bathrooms and even consumed items from residents' refrigerators. At the time, the PM stated that it had initiated a “appropriate investigative procedure” and that Felippe was removed from his duties. PM says he shot 13 times at June festival Staircase where Herus was killed Reproduction/TV Globo According to the MP's complaint in the Herus case, Daniel fired the shots that caused the office boy's death. In testimony, Sergeant Daniel said that he was the only one on his team to fire shots during the action. He stated that the 13 shots were a response to shots from drug dealers. The agent's demonstration contradicted the PM's first position, which stated that the police did not fire shots that night. “The images from the portable operational cameras show that Herus did not show any aggressive attitude and tried to move away to protect himself, having his back turned at the time he was hit”, says the MPRJ in a note at the time. Lieutenant Felippe, commander of the BOPE Alfa team, was denounced on suspicion of criminally relevant omission. For the MPRJ, it decided to maintain the operation even after receiving information that there was a June party in progress with many residents there, including children. Felippe and Daniel are defendants in the 2nd Criminal Court of RJ for qualified homicide for futile reasons and through an appeal that made the victim's defense difficult. The Court ordered several precautionary measures, such as: suspension of external policing activities; prohibition of access to military units other than the one in which they are assigned to work; prohibition of maintaining any type of contact — in person, by phone, messages or social media — with witnesses to the process and the victim's family, among others. From undersecretary to commander Colonel Aristheu de Góes Lopes was placed in command of BOPE Reproduction Colonel Aristheu de Goes Lopes, commander of BOPE at the time of the operation in Santo Amaro and boss of Felippe and Daniel, was dismissed, but passed through several battalions over the last few months. This Monday (8), the day after the anniversary of Herus' death, the acting governor, Ricardo Couto, appointed Aristheu as Deputy Under-Secretary of Command and Control of the PM. The act was signed with retroactive effect to January 26, 2026. However, the colonel is no longer in office. He currently leads the Specialized Policing Command (CPE), where he is responsible for battalions in tourist areas, expressways and stadiums in the state. Aristheu Lopes was never investigated by the PM's Internal Affairs Department in the office boy's death.  Appointment of Aristheu de Goes Lopes in the Official Gazette of Monday (8) Reproduction By note, the Military Police said that “there is no judicial determination that prevents” Aristheu Lopes “from carrying out his police role”. Also according to the statement, “the publication in the Official Gazette was an administrative act due to the retroactive adjustment of positions and restructuring of PMERJ units.” The institution also said that “the military police investigation into the Herus case was concluded and forwarded to the Military Public Ministry.” g1 questioned the State Government about the appointment. However, there was no return. Herus' parents at their son's wake Jefferson Monteiro/ TV Globo ‘Harder life’ During that 1 year, Herus's father reports that his wife's health worsened and that life became “more difficult.”  "Her heart situation has worsened. She has a large heart and her heartbeats have been below normal: they reached 40 per minute and are now at 33. Surgery is considered the last resort — a transplant, because her heart is enlarged. She is very depressed, because life has become more difficult without my son", he says.  Herus Guimarães Mendes Reproduction