Referee Otavio da Silva was decapitated by an angry crowd of spectators at a soccer match in Brazil. The decapitation was fueled after the referee stabbed player Josenir dos Santos when he refused to leave the pitch. This incident occurred during an amateur match on 30 June 2013 in the town of Pius XII.
According to the state’s Public Safety Department, Santos refused to leave the pitch after the referee had instructed him to. The referee then pulled a knife on Santos who died on his way to hospital.
Santos’ family and friends then made their way onto the pitch, stoning Silva to death and severing his head. Police chief Valter Costa said:
We will identify and hold accountable all those involved. One crime will never justify another.
The investigation is currently underway while 27-year-old Luis Matias de Sousa has been arrested in connection with the killing. Two more suspects, Francisco Matias de Sousa and Douglas Edson de Sousa have been pointed out as accomplices.
