A group of law enforcement officers held a photo op with escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante shortly after his capture in Pennsylvania, leading many online to call the display “cringeworthy.”
The 34-year-old, who was convicted in 2021 of first-degree murder, managed to elude the authorities for two weeks after escaping from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.
Cavalcante was captured on surveillance video climbing up a wall in the prison’s exercise yard that allowed him to reach the roof. The same escape route was used just four months ago by another prisoner.
During his time on the lam, Cavalcante stirred fear among local residents due to his violent history. Cavalcante, a Brazilian national, was sentenced to life in prison without parole last month for killing his former girlfriend. The U.S. Marshall Service also say that Cavalcante is also wanted in connection with a homicide that took place in Brazil.
On Tuesday, police even revealed to the public that the escapee managed to steal a rifle from a Chester County resident’s garage, who opened fire on Cavalcante with a pistol and missed.
Given the community’s concerns for their safety, many users online felt the photo op, taken after Cavalcante was captured in a wooded area this morning, was in poor taste.
“this is the cringiest thing i have ever seen,” one user wrote.
Others argued that the incident was embarrassing given how long Cavalcante manged to remain at large.
“So embarrassing for law enforcement to do,” another added. “This isn’t 1880’s Arizona.”
Many also felt that police were treating the convicted murderer’s capture as a much more important moment than it actually was.
“Dude, he’s not Pablo Escobar, smh,” one user said.
Following the arrest, local residents were met with a reverse 911 call informing them that Cavalcante had been taken into custody.
“This is a message from Pennsylvania State Police,” the message began. “The search for Danelo Cavalcante is over. The subject is now in custody.”
Roughly 500 law enforcement officers from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and US Marshals, were involved in the manhunt, according to CNN.
