A Police Raid on Baptist Family Home Leaves Two Brothers Injured
A crackdown by as many as two specialized teams of police officers at the home of Brandon and Hubert Baptist on Police Street Extension in Belize City Thursday evening resulted in utter chaos when gunfire erupted inside the property. The Baptist brothers are well-known members of the B.L.C. gang and, notwithstanding their involvement with the Leadership Intervention Unit, were the subject of an operation during which their home was raided. Siblings Earl and Hubert were shot with non-lethal rounds that left them both bloodied and in need of medical attention. Despite their injuries the men, along with several others, were all rounded up and detained at the Queen Street Police Station. Late this evening, police formally charged twenty-year-old Earl Baptist for the murder of Leslie Gillett in Burrell Boom a few weeks ago. Gillett was gunned down inside his place of business, Matilda’s Mini Mart. It is believed that his murder was in retaliation for the gangland execution of Aaron Baptist in Burrell Boom several years ago. This morning, reporter Isani Cayetano ventured into the neighborhood and spoke with residents.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
When law enforcement officers descended on the Baptist residence on Thursday evening they did so with extreme violence of action. Multiple shots were fired, civilians were manhandled and most of all, they seemingly could not be bothered that children were present at the time of the sweep. It all played out before a network of surveillance cameras that are rigged up across the property.
Voice of: Girlfriend of Shooting Victim
“I sih two full police truck unda speed, dust, I not even know who all deh eena di truck. I cyant seh. Dehn brakes, hold up everybody [and] tell everybody “freeze”. We da Belizean, if we sih two car cohn unda speed we will run, everybody will run. So everybody run. So I stay pan di veranda because then that noh really have nothing fi do with me or anything because I da wahn female.”
Earl Baptist was the first person sought in the raid. His girlfriend, who spoke with us off-camera, described the ordeal, as well as the mayhem that ensued when a barrage of gunshots was let loose at the premises.
Voice of: Girlfriend of Shooting Victim
“When I hyah di gunshot dehn, da then I run, but I noh run eena this yard, I run eena di neighbor’s yard because I mi feel like da back deh eena di neighbors dehn yard. But when I run back eena di neighbor yard I sih that dehn have my gentleman di stand up and I di sih blood di run down his hand. Soh when I sih di blood, da then I scream out, I scream out and I run back eena our yard and I gaan da back deh. He got injured because di police shoot ah.”
Earlier this week, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams indicated that a number of operations would be carried out in the days ahead, resulting from a spate of gang-related violence that has once again taken hold of Belize City.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We cannot continue to work with terrorists. They behave like terrorists then you must be treated as one, and that is the message that I will say to them now. Instructions have been given to the operations unit to go out and ensure [that] they execute as we have planned.”
Perhaps the strike on Police Street Extension, much to Denise Flowers’ chagrin, was the first of several operations in which the Belize Police Department is cracking down on active gang members.
Denise Flowers
Denise Flowers, Resident, Police Street Ext.
“I have no problem fi di police dehn do dehn job you know, but da di way ah how dehn do dehn job. Dehn just cyant come and di beat up pan people picni like that. One day yoh get enough because Baptists they are changing their life. Baptists they are changing their life. Dehn bwai dehn deh yah in peace, dehn bwai eena dehn yaad noh di do nothing, but to me ih look like di police dehn noh like sih peace.”
According to members of the family, they were all gathered inside the yard celebrating a birthday and weren’t bothering anyone when they were targeted. Like his younger sibling, Hubert Baptist was also shot with a non-lethal round at close range amid the chaos. Once again, there is public Outrage surrounding the use of unnecessary force.
Voice of: Girlfriend of Shooting Victim
“When Hubert come out, I stand up right deh. When Hubert tell dehn, weh unu di ker mi bredda fa? No questions asked, da just one gunshot, pow! One pepper spray, di young lady weh da her birthday, dehn pepper spray she and di mother. Okay, gunpowder end up gaan eena my mouth and thing and then after that I scream out and I tell dehn one, Hubert get shot. Nobody assist he, all weh di police do da pick up he by fi he shirt and fling he behind di truck, no assistance, nothing.”
The area in Lake Independence that was the focus of yesterday’s operation is described as the territory of the Backa Lands Crips. Prominent members of that gang have been featured extensively for their work with the Leadership Intervention Unit and the mediation sessions that have been organized to bring feuding gangs to armistice.
Chester Williams
“It cannot be that you try to take us for a ride or believe that you can come to mediation or be a part of program during the day and at night you become a gunman. It cannot work and at the end of the day we must ensure that we continue to deal with those young men or gang members who wish to terrorize the people of this city.”
Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.
