RIO DE JANEIRO — Police tampered with body cameras and failed in their investigation during a raid that killed 122 people in Rio de Janeiro, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Oct. 28.
The raid, known as Operation Containment, took place on Oct. 28, 2025, in Complexo da Penha and a second low-income neighborhood, the group said.
Key facts
- About 2,500 police took part, and about 23% wore body cameras, Human Rights Watch said.
- The group analyzed footage from 527 military police cameras and documented more than 250 camera obstructions, it said.
- Of the 117 non-police victims, 85% were Black, according to the report.
- Of 100 arrest warrants, 17 were carried out, the group said.
What the group found
Some 36% of gunshot clusters occurred while cameras were obstructed, Human Rights Watch said.
More than 40% of non-police victims were shot in the head, according to the group’s analysis of 122 autopsy reports.
“Our investigation shows police flouted the law and their own protocols during the disastrous raid,” said César Muñoz, Brazil director at Human Rights Watch.
The group called on federal and state prosecutors to open criminal and civil proceedings, including against senior officials and commanders.
These findings are Human Rights Watch’s own and have not been independently confirmed. The report gives differing figures for the hours of footage reviewed: 4,400 hours in its text and nearly 4,000 in its video.
Related coverage
Sources
- Human Rights Watch, “Brazil: New Evidence of Serious Police Misconduct in Deadly Raid,” Oct. 28, 2026
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