Racial bias in police use of lethal force in Brazil

This research attempts to test the existence of racial bias in the use of lethal force by police in Brazil. Data from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo reveal that the proportion of blacks and mulattos among lethal victims of police intervention is higher than their respective share in the population. The paper further analyses the ratio of individuals killed vs. those wounded by police in Rio and shows that the likelihood of being killed is higher for blacks than for whites. Overall findings support the hypothesis of racial bias in police use of lethal force.