Filipe Silva, the Public Security Police officer, famous for being caught on camera as he attacked a member of the public with a baton outside a football stadium, is up for promotion.
The incident took place during the Benfica’s championship victory match against Guimarães in May 2015.
Silva’s bosses in Braga cunningly have suspended the internal inquiry to enable the necessary praise to be heaped on his performance, ensuring he qualifies for promotion.
The PSP officer's attack on the defenceless José Magalhães, in front of Magalhães' father and two sons, aged 9 and 13 at the time, went viral and displayed in glorious colour the type of senseless aggression that the press later noted had marked this policeman’s career to date.
Silva’s commanding officers, should they promote him while an internal disciplinary case is still being considered, are condoning the sort of behaviour that caused disgust among the public and Silva's colleagues.
The fact that an internal inquiry was still going on some 20 months after the incident does not show the police to be at all interested in stopping this type of aggression.
Even more insulting is that Silva’s promotional chances are being boosted partly due to his supposed ‘good service’ policing various sports venues.
Readers may conclude therefore that thrashing unarmed and defenseless members of the public is OK in the Braga district and may choose studiously to avoid this city and environs.
