Police officer Henrique Otávio Oliveira Velozo, accused of murdering eight-time jiu-jitsu world champion Leandro Lo during a concert over the weekend in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has turned himself.
MMA Fighting confirmed the news Monday following an initial report by G1.
Velozo is accused of shooting Lo in the head over an argument about a bottle of alcohol at Clube Sirio. Witnesses said Lo pinned the police officer, who happens to be a purple belt in jiu-jitsu, to control the situation after Velozo took the bottle from Lo’s table. They were separated and Velozo was allowed back to his feet, but then walked a few steps back and shot Lo in the forehead. Lo was declared dead hours later.
UOL reported Monday that this wasn’t Velozo’s first run-in with the law. The policeman was found guilty of assaulting a fellow officer in a night club in 2017. He was convicted, but received no jail time.
Dead at 33, Lo captured a long list of notable championships as a jiu-jitsu player, including eight gold medals in the IBJJF Worlds. He defeated the likes of Gordon Ryan, Andre Galvao, Gilbert Burns, Felipe Pena, and more.