On March 5, the pro-government media outlet POSTV, along with several other news agencies (1;2;3;4), and a Facebook user, shared a video with the description: “How the police in France arrest a suspected criminal.” The footage shows two police officers beating a person and attempting to force them into the trunk of a car. The vehicle is white and blue and has the number “190” inscribed on it.
The video circulating on social media, which depicts police violence, was not filmed in France but in Brazil. This is confirmed by the police car and the officer’s chevron, which matches the insignia of the Rio de Janeiro police. The incident was also covered by Brazilian media and discussed by several officials.
The circulated video shows the police officers arrive at the scene in a blue-and-white police car with “190” written near the back door. Identical vehicles began to be used by the Rio de Janeiro police from 2018 onwards. There are a number of similar-looking cars in Brazil and all belong to the country’s military police.
In contrast, police vehicles in France are different from those in Brazil. While French police cars are also predominantly white and blue, their visual details differ from the one shown in the circulated video. Moreover, police vehicles in France do not bear the number “190.” The official police emergency number in France is “17.”
The video circulating on social media is of poor quality; however, the details of a chevron on one of the police officers’ arms can still be distinguished. The officer is wearing a chevron on his arm intended for third-degree sergeants, which is used in Brazil’s military police.
Footage of the violent arrest and related information was also covered by Brazilian media. Local news outlets confirm that the footage was filmed in São Conrado, the southern part of Rio de Janeiro. The incident took place on September 17. According to Brazilian media, the police approached a biker acting suspiciously, who attempted to flee the scene and resisted police officers during the arrest. After detaining the biker, police seized a large quantity of narcotics from him. The arrest was carried out by the 23rd Battalion of the Military Police (23º BPM), whose identification mark can also be seen on the police vehicle shown in the circulated video. Brazilian Prime Minister’s Department of Internal Affairs has also announced that an investigation is underway to analyze the details of the investigative procedures.
In an effort to discredit Western countries, social media has repeatedly circulated misleading photos and videos that were not filmed in European states, despite claims to the contrary by the spreaders. Myth Detector has previously revealed similar cases.
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