Man gunned down in shelter; family cries foul
And in Orange Walk, police are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in the death of a Douglas Village resident. On Saturday night, nineteen year old George Cortez White returned to the San Pablo Community Centre, where he has been staying since his village was evacuated during the flooding. White was inebriated and according to the police report, started behaving disorderly. Providing security at the shelter at the time were two B.D.F. soldiers: Lance Corporal Paulino Pop and Private Paulino Assi. The soldiers reported that they tried to calm White down, but that he continued cursing them and when they tried to approach him, he threatened them. There appears to be some missing information in the police account as it does not say what caused Private Assi to fire two warning shots for White to quote “stop.” When the teen continued, a third shot was fired which caught him in the left leg. White was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital for treatment and then to the K.H.M.H., but died around three-forty-five Sunday morning. That is the official version, but tonight White’s aunt, Alexandrina Roman says she witnessed the entire incident and is crying foul. Roman says the soldier did not have to shoot her nephew and the family wants justice.
Alexandrina Roman, Aunt of the Deceased
“I tell di soldier fi mek ih arrest ah, noh fi shot ah fi hurt he, but di solider mean fi shot him and hurt him. Dat happened eight o’clock and when he done shot ah, di lee bwai collapse maybe bout yonder so and den from deh some people tell ah if he noh wah pick up di lee bwai and ker ah dah hospital. He seh no, mek di lee bwai stay right deh and dead like wah dog. If di village council man never come pick up two guys fi goh mind from Douglas, maybe dah right deh ih mi wah dead. Dah he pick up the bwai and ker ah dah hospital.”
Carolina White, Sister of the Deceased
“Dehn seh di B.D.F. shot ah when he was back on. Ih chance ah, so we want justice fi dat and police di seh dat police mi deh right deh. No police was there at di incident of that murderation, no police was there.”
Kendra Griffith
“Would you say George was a troublemaker or anything like that?”
Alexandrina Roman
“He easy. He like do ih lee noise and from deh he goh sleep. When we does deh dah Douglas, he drink, ih cuss up, but we noh study ah. Everybody from Douglas know dat he like mek noise and cuss up and he goh inna fi he bed and sleep and everything cool off.”
The family alleges that the soldier was also under the influence of alcohol. White’s body awaits a post-mortem at the K.H.M.H. Ten other persons were seeking shelter in the community centre.
