Shooting victim Steven Buckley on the road to recovery
Remember Stephen Buckley? He is the Belize City man who was shot on Farber’s Road by the police on the night of April twenty-eighth. His prognosis did not look good initially but Buckley beat the odds and began to make an impressive recovery. It is now two months later and Buckley and his wife Juanita are the second couple this week to say they will sue the police department. Buckley and Juarez have already started the legal process after a cop allegedly shot him in the head during a police operation. Buckley held onto life for several weeks in a coma and while he has been making encouraging progress, he is not the same man he used to be. Marion Ali went back today to see how he is doing and she files this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
This was Steven Buckley trying to get around his house when we visited with him on June third. Buckley is going through a long recovery period and therapy after he was shot in the head allegedly by a police officer on the night of April twenty-eighth of this year.
And this is Steven Buckley climbing the stairs at his house on West Street when we visited with him today. Although not one hundred percent, it’s a big improvement from the way he was at the start of the month. And it’s progress that Buckley is all too happy to enjoy.
Steven Buckley, Recovering From Gunshot
steven buckley
“Right now I glad fi see that ah di get back, coming on alright. I really di tek mi lee exercise and try get back together.”
Marion Ali
“I see you’re walking. The last time you couldn’t walk on your own.”
Steven Buckley
“Yes ma’am. Glad fi dat. I got lotta feeling out the right foot right now, thank God.”
Marion Ali
“What about your right hand?”
Steven Buckley
“Well the right noh really di get back together yet but soon I wah get it back.”
Marion Ali
“You can’t hold anything with it?”
Steven Buckley
“Noh really.”
Marion Ali
“But can you feel? If I touch you can you feel that?”
Steven Buckley
“Yeah.”
Buckley’s common-law wife, Juanita Juarez, says that since the Belize Police Department has accepted responsibility for the shooting, they have delivered grocery items to them twice. But the Department is still slow in coming up with what they need most.
juanita juarez
Juanita Juarez, Common-Law-Wife of Steven Buckley
“We can’t live only pan groceries. We need money to pay the bills cause we still owe house rent right now. We deh two months behind with house rent, water and light. And soon I guess mi landlord wah try fight with me fi dat soh I need dehn fi give me some money because dah deh have my husband eena this situation.”
Marion Ali
Are you still taking them to court?
Juanita Juarez
“Yes we are.”
And while Juarez will take on the Police Department with a law suit for much-needed finance, this father of four is fighting an entirely different battle, and it is to do something that most of us take for granted – going to work.
Steven Buckley
“I dah really want goh back to mi lee construction work dehn. Dat dah weh really di slow mi down right now dah that mi hand hambug mi right now. And di foot dehn noh really di get back together as yet. But right now ih di get back right.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.
Inspector Dennis Lopez was arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the shooting and is currently on interdiction. The other couple to sue the department is Tasha Herrera and Alwyn Gonzalez who on Tuesday were freed of drug trafficking charges when tests showed that it was neither heroin nor cocaine that had been found in her yard. She is suing for the damages to her reputation.
Thank God he recovered!!!
I hope that Buckley will make a complete recovery with time, it is sad to see a hard working man way of life cut short due to lack of incompetence. What is even more sad in this situation is that he was the only bread-winner in that household, and have young kids depending on him.
Although the police is at fault for Buckley’s condition I think it is time for the wife to start looking for a job, pay some bills, take care of the kids and husband and stop waiting around for help from the police at this time. ( not saying that she should not continue to sue the police).
This is why more women/mothers in Belize need to educate themselves, become less dependant on their spouse.
good luck..
it would be good if they can get something back from the wannabe police. Thanks God he’s doing fine and hpoefully he can recover as much as his body and mind can get. Lord please help this hardworking man to get the correct justice that he needs, let the light of your divine wisdom shine upon him, help him get well and to get back to normal life. Help him get the justice that you see fit for him and not revenge since it’s all yours. get well bro jah bless.
WHY DON’T YOUR LAWYER TELL YOU TO SHUT THE …. UP????????????????
I wish Mr. Buckley and his family all he best. THIS IS ONE CASE I HOPE GOB LOOSES.
Maddy , a lot of women have a job inside their homes raising theie kids to be upstanding, model citizens of his country. Its not unusual. From my understanding, Mr. Buckley was taking care of his family before a trigger happy cop came across his path. Like so many of us Belizeans, he didnt have $100,000 set aside for rainy days so nowh he’s going thru a tough time.
We need to pray for this family, as this man was doing more than what many young men half his age wouldn’t do: He was working very hard to earn an honest living. For that alone we should applaud him, and do our best to stand behind him in his fight to sue the GOB and this Law enforcement Officer who put him on life support for weeks and rehabilitation for months.
To The Buckleys, BEST OF LUCK, GIVE THANKS TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD!
maddyvandijk Goodness…. there he goes again with his stupid comments. Mein since u all up in these people business why don’t you give them your pay check since you have so much to say
I personally see this as a dirty shame on the government of Belize. Why is it more poeople are not voicing their disguss about the blatant injustice. I rapper come to Belize and it make all kind of news of sympathy for him and his stupid low life music. I know that this comment about rap so-call music will not go over well with many, but just look at the king of musicians- if you can call it music, that are killing each other. Anyhow back to my point about this young man and his family. Where is the integrity of the want to be government leaders? Their attitude toward this gentleman and his family is as if though he and his family does not matter; they are dispensible because they are not from high society. There are to much hypocracy in Belizeans.
we talk about christian nation. what happen to the golden rule? Do unto others as we would that they should unto oneself.
For sure he will win his case against the police department, but in the final analysis its the tax payer that will foot the bill. so why in the name of God’s green earth the government do step up to the plate and do the right thing NOW?
LTC, I do hope Mr. Buckley recover from his ordeal, that goes without saying. It seem that he was the only person working and taking care of his family, now that he is not capable of working and taking care of home someone else has to do it, right?
I would like to see more women in Belize stop thinking that it is their job to stay home and tend the house, and take care of the kids. I believe that mothers makes even greater, and better model citizens out of their kids if they themselves becomes succsefull role models.
Times have changed and women can also be providers for their children by getting jobs too and not be so dependable on their man to be the only provider, this is good for their self esteem, and with good selfesteem they can pass goodness onto their kids instead of the usual frustration..