More than 1,200 police have broken an eight-day strike in a coastal Brazilian state that had experienced a dramatic increase in homicides during the stoppage.
Over 3,100 Army soldiers and members of an elite federal police force helped patrol Espirito Santo state, which saw chaotic looting, the closing of stores, school and hospitals and a six-fold increase in murders in the past week as police refused to work, demanding an increase in pay.
Despite the crack in the strike, roughly 10,000 police continued the stoppage on Sunday.
According to the police union, 144 murders have taken place since the strike started on February 4.
The state has yet to make any concessions to the officers regarding their monthly pay, which at about 2,700 reais ($A1,128) is among the lowest in Brazil.
