Garifuna Collective drummer says he was abused by cops
joshua arana
He is known as the lead drummer in the Garifuna Collective Band who travelled with Punta Rock legend, the late Andy Palacio, on his tours across the world. But today, Joshua Arana is making news for a different reason. He says he was heading home with friends early Sunday morning when he became the victim of police abuse. And now the musician says he is looking for justice.
Joshua Arana, Claims Police Abused Him
“Between the hours of one thirty and two thirty Saturday morning I was walking home and two other friends. I was like fifty meters away from my residence on George Street. So, some police came up on us, came out the vehicle and asked us to put our hands against their vehicle. So I said ok, no problem. Apparently I didn’t move fast enough for one of the officers so he decided to push me. I thought that that was uncalled for. So, as soon as he pushed me, he said spread your legs and he kicked my legs open. I went “Come on mein, what is this for? I am a law-abiding citizen. So, when that happened they searched me, they didn’t find anything. So, I felt violated, so I asked the officer for his name and his badge number. One officer told me that I was trying to be smart. So, I proceeded to ask the corporal in charge for his name and his badge number because I told them that I was going to put this whole thing on the news. In the process of doing so another officer punched me.”
Marion Ali
“So there were how many of them?”
Joshua Arana
“There were about five or six of them. So, another officer punched me for nothing, for no reason at all. So, my friend who was with me went and called my sister and explained to my sister what happened. So my sister came outside and she asked me what happened? I told her nothing, I didn’t do anything. But I told her this particular officer came and he punched me. So he asked my sister “Miss please turn around and go back inside.” And as soon as she turned around he went, “Who, who punched you?” And he slapped me again for no reason at all. So they locked me up. They took me to the police station. Before arresting me they didn’t even caution me, and I was supposed to be cautioned before arrest, and after being charged. I wasn’t cautioned any at all. I was charged for obstruction. Obstruction of what?”
Marion Ali
“Were you under the influence or did you in any way, as they might want to claim, contribute to what happened?”
Joshua Arana
“Of course not, of course not. All I asked the guys was: can I have your name and your badge number because I felt I was violated. But they thought I was being smart because I was asking them for their names and their badge numbers and that is my right.”
Marion Ali
“What are you looking for now?”
Joshua Arana
“I want these guys to be dealt with because I felt as if I was chanced. I was at the Ombudswoman yesterday and what she asked me to do is to file an official report, write down an official statement and take it to her desk and she will deal with it accordingly and then I’m also supposed to see the internal affairs officer at Raccoon Street Police Station, so I am going to do that.”
Arana pleaded not guilty to the charge of obstruction when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this morning.
This incedent bear witness to what I wrote a few nights ago about the power of police. These egotistical jerks can make your day very miserable. Police can be profile in theree cathigories. superiority complex, inferiority, and reasonable. Unfortunately the first two are in the majority in the force, and are very dangerious to the public. With crime as high as it is they believe that they have cart blanc to abuse the public.
I think that you handled the situation in an intelligent way by asking for name and number. The police do have the right to hit or abuse anyone when a situation is not out of control. I hope that you did get the name and badge number of the idiot that assaulted you.
We all want criminality to stop in Belize, and the police have to act sometimes on instinct, innocent people will get pulled over, stopped, and searched. It is embarrassing to be stop and searched by the police, but keep in mind that this has to be done in order to stop criminals. Deal with the situation in an intelligent way, could actually save your life.
I n Belize many police are abusive and ignorant due to lack of education, but they should not be excused from punishment when they abuse the law.
I hope you get em………….
…..and there is the birth of the Belizean Bob Marley……….focus the anger and disappointment through your music bro, let the whole world know what is happening.
I’ve been in this exact situation before in another country. I was the girl who was told to move away while watching my date being abused by the police. He also asked for the badge and number, and for being ‘smart’ he was locked up for the night and was charged for ‘ public intoxication’ while that was most definitely not the case. He wasn’t even given a sobriety test.
He hired an attorney and filed a suit against the police department.
Their representative never showed up to court. The charge of public intoxication was dropped. He didn’t pursue the matter any further.
well usually a police number is on both shoulders of there shirt, so all he had to do was look at that, once u have the number u don’t need them to give it to u the number speak for itself.
But very good job arana in handling that situation.
The good efforts of Operation Jaguar will be undermined by police who keep on abusing their authority. If the Police has any sense, they will realize that community support is need to effectively fight crime, since Jaguar cannot continue indefinitely. I cant help but thinking though how much we hate ourselves. If Joshua was a white man, that would never happen.
Sue them bro!!
SORRY TO SAY I HAVE BEEN IN THIS EXACT SITUATION MANY TIMES IN BELIZE BEFORE….THE JUGE ONE TIME ACTUALLY TOLD ME ” SON THEY ARE THE LAW”….SO ARANA YOU SIMPLE FIT THE PROFILE ( YOUNG BLACK MALE @ NIGHT)….I FEEL YOUR DISCOMFORT IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY
Boy Josh I feel so bad to hear that they treat you like that. Those police need to realize that they can’t abuse their authority. They will get what is due to them. Just continue being positive and keep your head up!
dem police musy mi drunk or maybe dem just naturally shtupid, or dem get brain damage wearing dem uniform HMMM
these police officers sucks big time
see whhy the public in general is losing the trust on this stupid policemen. why can’t they have some desency when they do their jobs. time will come when people will revolt against them and this will be catatrofic and shameful to hear or see. in cayo we go through the same thing, police abuse. we see them do it regulary but the guys that need to be stopped they just pass by and holler ” wats up dog ” and ride like nothing. they seem to have a bond that links them to like each other but the citizens that are more respectful they are the once they stop harass and abuse. what kind of serve and protect thing, they are doing.
This is injustice, these cops are not above the law they need to be dealt with by the law accordingly, they are here to protect and serve not abuse the citizens. If you ask for names and badge number, all they had to do was give it to you no questions ask, unless they knew that you were physically abused by them then, of course they would give you a hard time including trumped up charges. These cops need to be dealt with by the law whenever any kind of abuse is involved AGAIN THEY ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW.. Good luck …,…..
If you ask me i was so mad to see Arana bangled up with other criminals this justice system suks and those uneducated stupid … officers make their ugly … uniform get the best of them if they mess with anyone of my family TRUST ME.
Hey Joshua, Belizean Gyal says, for all those who are persecuted, stand tall, look straight ahead and continue to give HIM all the glory!! You have been gifted with music by the most high.
Its a shame what happend here Joshua and I really sympathize with you. At the same time, I hate to tell you this but this country has changed a lot over the past five years. Most law abiding citizens do not feel safe to walk after dark in Belize, especially in Belize city. You are most likely to get mugged, violated, or killed! And some criminals even wear a badge and a uniform!
This country has its citizens rights reversed: The criminals roam freely, while productive, taxpaying, law abiding citizens are enclosed behind burglar barred windows and doors in their homes. On a typical day you just go to work, pay high taxes, and huge utility bills, then you come home and lock yourself up. ITS CALLED SURVIVAL IN BELIZE! Plain and simple.
I se sue dem Josh. me ,Josh n d rest a Garifuna Collective(-Denmark) da gud frend. Josh live wa honest life. who dem stupid police fi d harass dem no d harass. 2de fi me 2maro fi u. who we wa trust wen da we police Officers d commit d crime? I se bi-election b4 Barrow du eni more …. da no all a dem bad but da lyk 99.9 % outta d force bad. I memba wen dem use 2 kill out police daily. i waa mek dat kum back mek dem realize dat wen dem kill or hurt pple dat pple gat famli out de. pple famli kri n mourn fi dem loved one. wa police officer heng mi kuzn bout 4 yrz ago n we no get justice yet. but wait.d wrld is a cycle. ‘enieng u du me. me a du u back’
Teddy Swaso, how many white men in Belize are running around on the streets of Belize shooting or chopping up black/Spanish man? Zero.
How many taiwaneese or chaineese people do you see shooting or chopping up black/Spanish man on the streets of Belize? Zero.
They are doing it to themselves; the police are smart enough to know that a tourist walking down the street late at night is not looking for problems; more that their lives are in danger the way things are right now in Belize.
We all agree that the police were out of order and need to be dealt with immediately, don’t make this about race because it’s not.
This man was innocently walking home in a danger zone area late at night to get home, I assumed, and he was stopped, searched and abused by the police, but he handled the situation in a good manner. I hope others will learn from this unfortunate experience and react in an intelligent way; your life could depend on it, sad but true.
People will get stopped and searched it’s a part of the operation to fight crimes, deal with it.