Police run over 8 yr. old, ask him to pay damages

An eight-year-old child, injured after a police vehicle ran him over, has been told by the cops to pay for the damages to the car. That’s the story being told tonight by a Belize City family living off Wagner’s Lane. Rahem Arnold was riding his bike home from his aunt’s house when he was knocked down by a small grey car driven by a plain-clothes police officer. A woman officer was also in the vehicle at the time. Rahem’s mother, Sheridan Arnold, says the incident occurred around two forty-five Tuesday afternoon on Mex Avenue.

Sheridan Arnold, Rahem’s Mother

“Coming back from my sister on Mex Avenue, he said he see the car the come. And while he see the car he stop by the lane and when he stop by the lane, he say the car ride up into him and he drop off the bicycle and on the ground. He say that afterwards the person come out and pick up ah and bring ah by my house and then they ker (take) a dah hospital. And the police left a dah hospital and never did gone back for ah.”

“The police come fi the bicycle this morning and they ker it and they ker me by the station, and they no di base nothing about ih medical or what happen to the lee boy. He couldn’t sleep last night, his back mi di pain ah, he had bruises on his back. They just the base on they want the windshield pay for. When he drop off the bicycle, he drop on the street and he get his back bruise and his elbow peeled up. And they want say that dah the windshield weh he drop on crack it, but he say that dah pan the ground he drop yesterday and get the bruises and so pan ih skin.”

Today News 5 contacted Officer in Charge of Traffic, Martin Yama, to speak to the officer who allegedly hit the eight year old, but despite much to and fro, the police declined to offer any details other than to say that the matter is under investigation.