Those close to Laddie Gillett mourn his death
From the courthouse in Belmopan, Paul Lopez visited with Laddie’s football coaches at Youth for the Mission, and one person who has been around Laddie over the past decade and refers to him as his little cousin, Belizean Musician, Stig D Artist.
John George, Football Coach
John George
“Paul it’s hard you know. I have memories of different times in Laddie’s life in school, he is struggling with school work and his teacher will call me and say John Laddie is not focusing. I’d say, don’t worry, when he comes to training I will have a talk with him. And, so many times over his journey in school I have had a lot of one on one conversation with Laddie and just encouraging him to really focusing on his school work, using football as a tool to help him focus. And, really help him to be able to channel his energy into something that he loved. And really allowing the journey that we share together to be that where he was able to focus in on the work, focus in on a lot of things that he wanted to do in life. And, only fourteen years now, the sky is the limit to what he could have become had he been here with us today.”
Santie Valencia
Santie Valencia, Director, Youth With a Mission
“A parent called me yesterday, and the child his son, which was one of the players also just wanted to talk with me. He said coach, and you could feel the pain in the child’s voice, in what he was feeling, what he was saying, you know. Who would expect something like this to happen to? A kid like this, a completely innocent child. And for me personally, what really dig me deep and pain me even more is, ok, Corporal Martinez I think it is, is off on bail for eight thousand dollars, or four thousand and a surety of the same. What is this, with manslaughter by negligence? This child was shot in the back! This child was shot in the back. He will have his time in court? What are we coming to in this country where law enforcement is concerned? Is this what is going to be the norm for us where our kids? Today is Laddie. Thank God I don’t have a fourteen, well I have grandchildren now. Which one of my grandchildren the same age could happen?”
Earlyn “STIG” Hutchinson, Relative of Laddie Gillett
Earlyn “STIG” Hutchinson
“Laddie is like a little Cousin to me. Listen I gawn dah school with the young bway, with the officer. My old lady dah wah police officer. Laddie calls my mah auntie. One of the person weh mih raises Laddie dah wah ex police officer. So, I know a lot of good police officers, lot of people weh the tek them job serious, impeccable people. But, I also know a lot of people weh after a while dah power get to them head and they feel like deh unstoppable and deh could just the out yah the chancey people. That nuh right, that just nuh right and I wah never the stand up for that. I wah always stand against that, no matter what, whether it be on news, on social media, or eena real life. Many hearts across the country broken at this time. Many persons are calling for protest, demonstration, action, and then this morning to hear the officer was granted bail. What was your initial reaction to that news? Listen, that dah why deh have laws for a reason. It is what it is. That dah murder, eena my opinion. And, he have to pay the penalty. If people want to protest, I stand with unu, guh protest. I wah deh out dah some of them with unu, if I have to do it as well. I went to the vigil last night and ih bruk my heart. My lee breda dah like one ah the man beast friend. He can’t stop cry and I had to stay pan call with my breda late last night cause he nuh know how fuh guh sleep. Ih hurt so much people, ih hurt me. Ih hurt the whole country, so weh you expect the people fuh duh and she? If deh wah guh out ah…mek ah nuh she nothing else.”
Protests are scheduled for Belize City, Belmopan and Placencia on Saturday. We will tell you more about those on Monday. A candle light vigil is also scheduled in Placencia over the weekend.
