Yesterday marked three years since the tragic death of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Leandro Lo, and yet justice remains elusive.
The trial of his alleged killer – off-duty police officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo – has once again been postponed, extending what has already been a long and painful wait for Lo’s family, friends, and the wider BJJ community.
On the night of August 7th, 2022, Lo was shot and killed in a Sao Paulo nightclub following an altercation with Velozo.
The suspect’s identity was made public within hours, and early details of the case quickly emerged the next morning.
Still, the legal process has moved slowly from the outset.
The first hearing took months to be scheduled, and although delays are not unusual in Brazil’s court system, many had hoped that 2025 would finally bring resolution.
The trial was initially set for May 22nd but was pushed to August after Velozo’s defense attorney, Cláudio Dalledone, filed a last-minute injunction.
This latest delay has proved even more contentious.
During the testimony of the lead detective, chief officer João Eduardo da Silva, he stated there was no evidence that Lo had consumed marijuana on the day of his death.
Dalledone disputed this, claiming Lo had been smoking something that smelled like marijuana, sparking a heated exchange with the prosecutor.
The defense then introduced photos of Lo’s friends, implying their size and strength could have been intimidating – an assertion the judge deemed outside the witness’s expertise.
After dismissing several of Dalledone’s questions, the judge ultimately declared a mistrial, setting a new jury trial for mid-November.
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