Custom’s Officer dies after falling from police pick-up
Mathias Duran
Police were on alert over the past extended weekend but still the criminals ruled the streets. There were two murders, many shootings, one which ended fatally at the hands of the cops and still yet a sudden and bizarre death of a customs officer while in police custody. We start first with a report from News Five’s Marion Ali on the death of Mathias Duran, the customs officer from Orange Walk Town, which occurred early on Sunday morning. The Duran family is reacting to the incident, but their approach is neither vocal nor aggressive. Instead, they are heading to the courts because they are convinced Mathias died due to negligence.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The investigation into the death of Customs Officer, Mathias Duran, is still underway but his family feels his death is punctuated by negligence on the part of the police. Duran and his sister, Atiliana Duran met up here at the Hi Five Club in Orange Walk Club early Sunday morning after celebrating at a wedding. But they soon left when a ruckus started between Mathias and another man.
Atiliana Duran, Sister of Deceased
“I saw that the security was pushing him and telling him that he cant go anywhere or something like that. Since he was drinking, he get upset and everything and he wanted to fight with the security. He was drunk and the security pushed him and threw him on the ground and then the other security came and was going to hit him with the baton but then people came around and they pulled the security that was going to hit him. Somebody threw a pint, I don’t know who. The police came and said they are going to take him because he is uncontrollable and they will just take him to the station for him to relax and after that we can take him home.”
But that was not how things evolved that fateful morning. Atiliana fell ill and had to be rushed to the Orange Walk Town Hospital while police escorted her brother in the pan of their truck en route to the Police Station to sober up. We say en route because Mathias never reached the station.
Atiliana Duran
Atiliana Duran
“By the time they got here by the Estereo Amor building he saw that the lights were on and he saw something on the ground but he didn’t know it was my brother and then when he came out he asked what happened and then Giant, the police just told him he threw himself from the vehicle.”
Supt. Joseph Myvette, O.C., Orange Walk Police
“The deceased was seen engaged in a fight with another person. They were both detained and in the process of being brought to the police station, they were both placed in the back of the police pickup. At that time they were accompanied by a police officer.”
Marion Ali
“The police officer was with them in the back in the pan?”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Yes, the police officer was in the pan and whilst being transported to the station, on the way the deceased then jumped out of the vehicle, injuring himself.”
Marion Ali
“Do you have eyewitness account of this aside from the officer?”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Yes, the other person who was involved in the fight was also in the vehicle.”
But Duran’s family has vehemently denounced the police claim that he jumped out of the vehicle and has accused the police of negligence in transporting an inebriated man to the station in the pan of their vehicle. Even worse, they claim the police vehicle was speeding.
Abel Jimenez
Abel Jimenez, Uncle of Deceased
“From birth he has a defect, he has a problem in walking. He walks sideways. He was born with that defect on his hip and he went with that in life and everybody that knows Orange Walk knows that on Queen Victoria there’s a pedestrian ramp, there’s a police bump, if he wanted to jump out of a vehicle he could have done it then. All we want is the truth and it’s about time that somebody come and tell us the truth.”
Atiliana Duran
“He went voluntarily and he fell from there because I think the police were speeding.”
Marion Ali
“You have any kind of proof to back this up?”
Atiliana Duran
“Well, we have a witness who said that when the police vehicle went by the bump by the town clock, it was slow and right after it passed the bump it took a speed and when it took the speed, he just heard the noise that sounded like when you crack a coconut.”
Marion Ali
“That’s when your brother fell?”
Atiliana Duran
“Aha. It was only him and some other officer. They could have put him inside, knowing that he was under the influence of alcohol. They could have put him to sit inside. They should be the first ones to make sure that the law is enforced.”
What the Duran family is taking up with the Orange Walk Police is that they were the ones who violated traffic laws and an ongoing public awareness campaign when they transported the detainee in the pan of their vehicle. This was an issue News Five posed to Officer Commanding the Orange Walk Police Station, Superintendent Joseph Myvette.
Supt. Joseph Myvette
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Police across the country are equipped with pickups and that is the way that people are transported. So this is not unique to Orange Walk or even to the country of Belize. People are transported in pickups.”
Marion Ali
“But that doesn’t make it right.”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“That doesn’t make it right but that’s the way—that is the transport that the police department has.”
Marion Ali
“Are you any bit concerned that the family is considering that aspect to bring a lawsuit against you all?”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Certainly and our sympathies go out to the family and it is within their right to do whatever they see fit. I don’t know that the law has any specific way of transporting people other than the transport that is available and, as I mentioned to you, this is the way have been transporting people.”
Marion Ali
“Are you coordinating with the Traffic or the Transport Department to make sure that you’re on the same page here because they are saying one thing or they are promoting one way of doing things—the right and the wrong way—and then you have the same police authority who is consistently and continuously doing it because that is what you have to work with.”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Yes, that is what we have.”
Marion Ali
“So is there some kind of coordination between the two agencies?”
Supt. Joseph Myvette
“Certainly, the police and the Transport Department work together.”
Myvette also told us that the investigation, which is being led by senior officers not assigned to Orange Walk, has shown so far that the driver was not going above twenty-five miles per hour when Duran fell to his death. Mathias was assigned at the PSW Goldson International officer for the past year and had been working with the Customs Department for over five years. His family will put him to rest on Wednesday. Marion Ali for News Five.
just sad! problem is that police will never accept fault about anything, Belizeans really need to join and express dissatisfaction and demand change NOW! remember today its them, tomorrow it may be one of us…
I think it is ridiculous for police officers to transport their criminals from port to port in the back of a pick-up truck. Sadly, many criminals escaped the back of those trucks and escaped the law for months, years, while some dies mysteriously under trained police officers eyes.
Isn’t it supposed to be illegal to carry passengers in the back of a pickup truck? Illegal for everyone but the police?
This is stupid, police have this intxicated man riding in the pan of a pickup truck, it time u guys get the proper mobile when transporting detainese.
INTERESTING It is public knowledge in Belize that transportation of an arrested person is when a person is in mortal danger of not making to the Police Station, Jail or Court?
josph
people are getting fed up with your department in orange walk how you handle detainees and some time in the future people will explode thier anger against you the police to an extend that you won’t be the law anymore than the same people taking things on thier on hand. time will come when police would be banned by the residents in some areas and will be very disgraceful when they lose thier trust for you as police officers.
Police negligence has been happening for many many years now, it’s no surprise, they think that because they in dat ugly uniform they can rule d world, let me remind them it is WE, Belizeans, who pay their salaries!!!!!!! Y do u think people don’t respect them anymore? Y do u think people don’t want to help police when something happens? we get tired of their crap everytime! ART, u say its time we join and do something, it doesn’t matter what we do they still gonna do what they want! they dont care about us all they care about is collecting on payday! they don’t do their job because they love it or want to help their country, it’s merely a payday for them! it takes them forever to reach at a crime site but many times when they stop people for no excuse, they ready to collect a bribe! trust me i’ve seen it happen! it’s just ridiculous!!! We can’t ask the Govrnment to look into it cause whichever one is in power, whether P.U.P or U.D.P, they too busy filling their pockets to do anything for us belizeans!!!!!!!!!
We’ve all been seeing guys being transported in the police truck pan for years.
Here’s the thing. Diesel trucks are the best mode of transport for the cops considering our bumpy roads in Belize. And, the best seating arrangement is for the arrestees to be placed in the pan. It will cost a lot of money to bring in new vehicles that can provide better seating arrangements and handle the bumpy roads at the same time. Any ideas?
It is very sad for the Duran family. It could be that duran was too drunk and fell off the truck, or it can be negligence by the police by speeding or careless driving. there’s the truth hidden somewhere between witnesses and the officer at the back of the truck. I just hope that the truth comes out for the family to be able to live with and for the department involved to be more carefull when tranporting people in genaral at the back of a truck.
Isn’t that every man has a right?Isn’t that every Belizean public officer has a right?Men belize has to wake up!!!now a life is taken away…
every one is blaming the police. how about putting some blame on the person himself (learn to control his drinking) and on the family members and friends who say him drunk and didn’t put him in there car front seat with seat belt and take him home. i am sure his family and friends hand vehicles or call a taxi. lets put the blame were it should be and not only on the police. everyone is now saying how the police should have done there jobs, why didn’t one of those one talking take care of him. check Ur self be for u point fingers. stop using the police to clean Ur conscience. they are working with what they have. ask Ur Ministers to give up there ride and see what they will tell u. blame ur Ministers before u blame the police u put them there.
The Police are lock of resources,hence the reason they’re using these trucks.How is that their fault?
Elgin i agree with you.the policemen can only used the tools they have.sad to know what happen, but the blame should be on the GOB.
Besides Tyadia, all other comments here are nothing but BS…instead of crucifying the police,how about telling people to stop the drinking.If i’m an idiot that doesn’t know how to control my binge drinking…then anything i get is well deserved.I have alcoholics in my family and they bring nothing but shame to the family with their bad behavior.Someone always have to go save them from themselves.My brother quit drinking every year for the lenten season but makes an ass of himself every day after.If you can quit drinking for 40 days and 40 nights…dude you can quit forever.Stop making excuses for these people that chose to put their lives and others in danger.
Sell off some of these trucks one by one and get equipt with the correct cop car, ford crown victoria, they are cheap and easy to maintain.
We know some of those trucks are necessary when going into certain area because of bad road, also some of the crappy driving police do puts everybody in danger, even their own.
That does not make it right for them to place a person in the pan of a vehicle the law states that this is illegal. Even if they lack the resources it is still not justifiable. Theses vehicles can sit the driver and another officer in front and 3 passenger can be taken in the back seats which could have been used by the officer and the 2 person detained sitting in the pan. And whether you and I want to admit it or not most of the time those Police vehicles are speeding especially at night time.
The government spends a lot of money on commissions and consultants to tell it what is wrong with the police department, when pretty much anyone on the street can tell them – corruption, drugs, lack of DNA testing facilities and fingerprinting capabilities, low pay for the police and lack of training. Spend the commission and consultant money on taking care of these things — and maybe some of that loan money we’re taking on in great quantities. I’m sure some international organization out there would be happy to give or loan us some money for this. As to carrying criminals in the pan of trucks, this is not only a police problem, it’s a human rights issue. If you’re arrested for something, you have the right to expect that the police will safely carry you to the place where you will be processed, regardless of whether you are innocent or guilty. A government has a basic responsibility to protect its citizens, and even more so when a person is in the custody of the government itself. Just because the government claims to not have the money to provide safe transportation doesn’t make this right, or moral, and, is, in fact, a gross dereliction of its duty by the government. And that doesn’t even take into account the practice of the police transporting their own officers in the pans of trucks.
listen ppl y dont u all stop whinin n crying like lil girls n understand that its not just the police its all GOB agencies and not only here but everywhere its just that malicious ppl always the spread lies to escape prosecution and giv d police a bad image not forgetin d fact that the police are human beings are just like any of us so if the police force will change till the society as a whole produces better citizens therefore better citizens will join the force and thus u will get beter service. 2ndly the police can only do so much without the goverment help, i mean the GOB has money for there pockets yet restrain expenditure on essential items for the people. say belize city is short of vehicles and radios, so tel me how can the police respond fast to a crime when there r limited vehicles and they are all broken up? simple so stop whining and stop breaking the law so no one harasses you for silly tings as riding up stop and i just hope the police start killing all those fools who cant keep their damn guns without shooting ppl all bout in the city. kill them all!!!!
In the whole country of Belize the police departments can not come up with enough lumber to build some kind of boxed in closures for their trucks? Drill holes in the truck beds and bolt in rings to bond the persons for saftey reasons? Comon sense could cure this problem.
Well the laws are made to be broken, especially by those who enforce them. Police are the number one culprits of speeding. The speed for anything without using their lights or sirens and sometimes innocent citizens nearly escape injury. Yes, People on the back of pickups must be properly seated. Look at the mexican police or even the Oil Exploration company they have the same pickups as the police but the install railings to prevent people from falling. This does not require a lot of money. I hope that our courts give justice on this matter. The Department needs to own up to their mistakes. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME A PERSON FALLS OFF A POLICE PICKUP BUT I SURE HOPE ITS THE LAST.
CURRUPTION MUST END AND IT MUST END NOW!
Police are always lack of resources: never reach a crime scene becuase of lack of resources, never concluded investigations because of lack of resources, do almost anything because of lack of resources however when it comes to arrest civilians for minor offence they are ready to take advantage and make a big deal of it. why they don’t arrest the criminals thay are out there doing crimes. Police:Stop the take advantage of your power and do the job right, because when it comes to blaming the police they are never in fault. Disgarce with this country!!!
It’s a common sight to see arrestees being transported in the pan of police trucks accompanied by police officers in Belize and the rest of Central America. If the man was not being accompanied by an officer while intoxicated, then I’d say we have a problem, but he was, so there is no case here. This certainly is an unusual case and if it were a common occurence, then we’d have to change police transportation, but at this point, I’d say we’re okay as we are.
Here’s a picture of arrestees in the back of a police pickup truck in Guatemala — http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogphotos/195-03-guatemala-police.jpg
In Honduras ..
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/23/xin_52209062313341872500510.jpg
In El Salvador..
http://nimg.sulekha.com/Others/original700/el-salvador-journalist-killed-2009-9-11-20-40-25.jpg
Policy is not written by the officers, its written by the goverment officials and if it does not affect there
families personally then there will be not change.
PEOPLE, IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO PLACE ARRESTEES IN D BACK OF D TRUCK, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO BE SEATED ON THE EDGE OF THE PAN N DIS NOT ONLY GOES FOR THE ARESTEES BUT FOR EVERYONE, THEY CAN BE SEATED ON D FLOOR OF THE PAN, AND PLEASE PEOPLE ADMIT THAT POLICE OFFICERS ARE VERY NEGLIGENT WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING, THEY THINK BECAUSE THEY IN DAT VEHICLE THEY HAVE THE RITE OF WAY! IT IS TRUE THEY HAVE TO USE THE RESOURCES THEY ARE GIVEN BUT MEIN THEY CAN SURE ENOUGH TRY TO TAKE CARE OF IT AS IF IT WERE THEIR OWN!!!!!!!! THEY CAN PUT A LIL EFFORT ON THEIR PART TO PROTECT US WHETHER WE ARE CRIMINALS OR VICTIMS!!!!!!!!!!!!
The FACT that everyone else do it, does not make it right!
Alvira Clark said, “In the whole country of Belize the police departments can not come up with enough lumber to build some kind of boxed in closures for their trucks? Drill holes in the truck beds and bolt in rings to bond the persons for saftey reasons? Comon sense could cure this problem.”
Sounds like a good idea to me. Good one, Alvira. You can e-mail that suggestion to the Belize Police Deparment. Follow this link to the contact form (that I think is the right one. You might want to check out the others.)
http://www.police.gov.bz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196&catid=43&Itemid=172
Tania said, “PEOPLE, IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO PLACE ARRESTEES IN D BACK OF D TRUCK, IT IS ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO BE SEATED ON THE EDGE OF THE PAN N DIS NOT ONLY GOES FOR THE ARESTEES BUT FOR EVERYONE, THEY CAN BE SEATED ON D FLOOR OF THE PAN [..]”
Maybe it just needs to be enforced that people need to sit on the floor of the pan. If you see a police truck (or any truck) with people sitting on the edge of the pan, then maybe you should take down the license plate number and report them.
I kind of like both of these suggestions as they try to work with what we already have in place.
OW Resident: You’re right. I guess the entire Central American police transportation needs an overhaul. Maybe we can be the first to start changing things? Maybe follow up on Alvira’s suggestion. build some rails. Put a camper on the back?
As for the suggestion about the Ford cars … I don’t know about that. I mean, have you seen our streets? Even in the urban areas? Remember the ford explorers the police got some years ago? Those got wrecked really quickly!
Tydia, if even d police don’t care about d laws what makes u think if i jot down d license plates of a vehicle n reporting it d police would do anything about it? i’m so sorry but i have no respect for police other than d respect that i have for my elders! just cause they older than me i have lil respect for them! they dont respect me so i dont respect them! i pass the corozal police station every morning n every nite to come n go from work n everytime its the same thing, they pass some stupid remark on how i look or what they would like to do to me! how do u think i can have any sort of respect for pigs like that????????? and as for the wrecked vehicles, they get wrecked cause the officers themselves dont give a rats ass about it! it’s not theirs so y take care of it? they drive without consideration for the vehicle or others on the streets!!!!!! when they lazy to drive behind another vehicle they put on sirens so all vehicles can move away so they can pass!!!!!!!!!! i’ve seen it a dozen times!!!! and most of the people i went to school with are poloce now n they say it themselves when i talk to them!!!!! BULLS**T!!!!!!