Referee beheaded by Fans after Stabbing Player in Brazil

by Fitzgerald Cecilio

Maranhao, Brazil

An amateur football match in the Maranhao region of northeastern Brazil turned bloody when a referee was beheaded by outraged fans after stabbing a player who questioned his call.

According to reports, footballer Josenir dos Santos Abreu punched referee Otavio Jordao da Silva after questioning a decision.

In retaliation, Jordao da Silva stabbed the player with a knife he was carrying during the match. Abreu died while on his way to the hospital.

Then, the player's friends and family invaded the pitch and attacked da Silva, tying up the referee before they lynched and beheaded him. After cutting his head, they placed it on a stake in the center of the field.

According to Maranhao chief of police, Valter Costa, 27-year-old Luis Moraes Souza, has been arrested for the crime, and authorities are searching for two more.

"Reports of witnesses have indicated some people that were in place at the time of the fact," Costa said. "We will identify and hold accountable all those involved."

"A crime will never justify another. Actions like this do not collaborate with the legality of a state law," he added.

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"Referee beheaded by Fans after Stabbing Player in Brazil "