Laddie Protestors Face Charges for Burning Tires; Mother Alleges Police Brutality during Arrest
This morning nineteen-year-old Landy Thomas and twenty-six-year-old Wayne Zelaya, and a minor, stood before a magistrate in Belmopan to answer to a single charge of “setting a bonfire without the permission of a police officer.” It is alleged that on Tuesday night both men set fire to tires on the highway in Camalote Village during a “Justice for Laddie” protest. Now, the mother of Landy Thomas is accusing police officers of brutalizing her son when he was detained that night. She told News Five over the phone that she has sought legal advice, and is now encouraging more parents to stand up for their children.
Nadine Thomas, Mother of Accused
“On Tuesday night I get a phone call saying that I need to come and see my son right away because the police deh have ah eena ah back street the beat ah. On arrival, on that scene, I saw two pickups from the SPU unit. And, when I get out of my vehicle and went to speak to the officer in charge, the commander of SPU, I asked and seh, what the happen here. All he said, go to the Roaring Creek Police Station. I followed them and I went to Roaring Creek police station, and when I reach there it was to pickup full of police officers. I mean Paul, when I reach deh and I saw my son face, my son face on both side ah eyes was swell up.”
Paul Lopez
“Did your family know Laddie Gillett?”
Nadine Thomas
“My younger son use to play football. And, Laddie, all of them use to heng out. Laddie went to the same church with us dah Sheppard’s Church. So, it is not something that we don’t know Laddie. We all know Laddie. And, I mean when my kids them hear it, it hit them hard. It really hit them hard fih know somebody so young gone, and for what? So I want more parents fih get out deh and fight fuh deh kids them, because deh yah police have to stop. I nuh think deh wah wait until somebody else dead again fuh something happen to this.”
The minor and Wayne Zelaya were released on bail today; however, Landy Thomas was remanded to face another charge.
