Police officer sentenced to 13 years behind bars

This morning, convicted killer, police constable Sheldon Arzu was sentenced to thirteen years behind bars. From the bench Justice Troadio Gonzalez told the defendant: “You say the police have to make tough decisions to protect the public, but mistakes are made. You also say that this is not an abuse of power… Some sentences for manslaughter are eighteen and twenty years, but I am of the view I cannot impose the maximum sentence on you.”

Justice Gonzalez would go on to say that on the night of June seventh 2003, “the Senior Officer found it necessary to leave the police station when this matter was volatile, going to his home and leaving junior officers. He should have stayed there until things cooled off. Unfortunately, he could not get punished for what he did.”

On November twenty-fourth Arzu was convicted by a jury of manslaughter in the shooting death of Ruben “Pony” Alarcon at the Caye Caulker police station. During trial, Arzu maintained that the victim threatened him during an argument, forcing him to shoot Alarcon twice: once in the face and again in the back. Arzu was initially charged with manslaughter, but the Director of Public Prosecutions changed it to murder. However, during deliberations, the jury decided to convict Arzu of the manslaughter charge. In passing sentence, Gonzalez told the court that thirteen years “meets the severity of the offence.”