Confusion in Florianópolis nightclub leaves one dead and two arrested

A tragic event took place on the morning of Tuesday, October 8, in a nightclub located on Avenida Mauro Ramos, in the center of Florianópolis, which culminated in the death of a man after a confusion. According to the Military Police of Santa Catarina, the victim, identified as Thiago Kich de Melo, was shot in the chest during a fight involving security guards and an off-duty police officer. The conflict, apparently originating from a dispute over the cost of an order, quickly escalated into a deadly confrontation.

According to authorities, the fight began around 6:30 a.m. Thiago and his friends were arguing with the club's staff over a bill that amounted to R$1,801.80 ($322 USD). The situation turned violent after one of the victim's friends was verbally assaulted, allegedly with a racist comment. At that point, Thiago intervened in defense of his friend, leading to a physical confrontation with the security guard.

Security camera footage shows how the police officer, who was on the scene and apparently not on duty, tried to intervene in the fight, hitting the young man who started the fight, then pulled out his gun and shot the businessman. Thiago was hit by a bullet in the chest and fell to the ground near the club's entrance. Despite his condition, he was assaulted by the security guard, who repeatedly stomped on him while he was motionless on the ground.

The chaos was witnessed by several witnesses, who did not intervene to stop the violence or provide assistance to the victim. Authorities arrived shortly after, but Thiago had already died. The security guard and the policeman were arrested at the scene and now face charges. A custody hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 9.

The Civil Police are in charge of the investigation and have indicated that they are reviewing all the details of the incident. Although the owner of the nightclub denies that the policeman was working as security personnel, the authorities have not ruled out that possibility and have opened an additional investigation to clarify the circumstances of his presence at the scene.

The body of Thiago Kich de Melo was buried this Wednesday, October 9, in the Itacorubi neighborhood. He lived with his mother and had no children. Thiago was the owner of a car wash company and had no criminal record.