Police investigate death of man after confusion at bus terminal in Salvador

The 2nd Homicide Police Station of Salvador is investigating the death of Edmar Santos Costa, aged 38, who was involved in a fight at the North Access of the Bus Terminal, in the Pernambués neighborhood, in the capital of Bahia, and died after intervention by security agents from the subway. The case happened on the morning of January 6th, but only came to light last Friday (19th).

In addition to the Civil Police investigation, CCR, the concessionaire of Metrô Bahia, initiated an internal procedure to investigate the events. The agents involved in the case were removed until the investigations were completed.

Edmar was a doorman and was just going to work when everything happened. Security camera footage shows the moment he arrives at the terminal at 5:58 am, identified with an orange striped t-shirt, and picks up a cooler that had been left on the floor less than a minute ago by another passenger.

Then, Edmar is filmed trying to get on a bus when a man shouts something at him and starts attacking him. The confusion lasts just over a minute and the man who left the cooler on the floor recovers it. Meanwhile, Edmar is taken by two agents.

Recording from another platform shows Edmar being thrown to the ground and immobilized by security guards at 6am. One of them even kneels on the man's neck, and the other on his back.

After about three minutes, Edmar appears to no longer move. One of the men brings a wheelchair that is never used, but it is only at 6:10 am that an agent appears with a stretcher and at 6:13 am they leave the place with Edmar unconscious.

In a statement, CCR lamented the passenger's death, and revealed the existence of another camera, which recorded the moment Edmar stumbled into the terminal. According to the dealership, he ends up falling and being helped by people walking around.

The company also stated that it invests in a continuous training and training program for its employees and that the agents called the Military Police and SAMU during the incident.

Civil Police investigations discovered two portions of cocaine in Edmar's clothing pocket. The corporation also informed that investigative measures are being carried out and that expert reports will complement the investigations. A CNN contacted SAMU to access the initial report, but received no response until the publication of this report.

The victim's family only found out that something was happening when Edmar's bosses informed them that he had not arrived at work that day, in the morning. Worried, family members spread posters and looked for her in hospitals, but it was around 7pm that they managed to identify the body at the Legal Medical Institute.

According to Pedro Fernandes, the lawyer hired by the family, the IML was also informed that Edmar had suffered a sudden illness, and that only days later they found out about the accident at the terminal.

“We still don’t have the IML report, but according to a letter from Samu sent to the delegate responsible for the case on January 11th, the cause of death was probably cardiorespiratory arrest,” the lawyer told CNN .

The victim's father also spoke through the lawyers, and remembered his son as a hard-working man. “He was my only son and a responsible family man, who helped us. Then my son goes to work and doesn't come back. When I see these images of my fallen son I just want justice.”

Read the CCR note

Metrô Bahia regrets the passing of Mr. Edmar Santos Costa and expresses its solidarity with his family and friends. The concessionaire informs that it initiated an internal procedure to investigate the events on the morning of January 6, when the company's customer service and security agents were called to act in an incident at the North Access Bus Terminal.

Since the incident, the company has collaborated with the authorities in investigating the facts, having provided them with all the images from its internal cameras, which prove the following facts:

· The passenger entered the terminal staggering and fell to the ground, being helped by other people who were there.

· Moments later, he gets involved in a fight with a street vendor inside a bus, and is also attacked by third parties.

· Upon noticing the confusion, the service and security agents go to the scene and contain the passenger, then calling the Military Police and SAMU.

The agents who participated in responding to this incident were removed from their operational duties until the investigations were completed. The concessionaire also clarifies that it invests in a continuous training and training program for its employees, with the main objective of providing a quality service to the population.