Fight ends in fatal gunshot
A Belize City man lost his life today when an argument escalated to a fistfight and then climaxed when a shot was fired. Janelle Chanona reports.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Around one thirty this afternoon, thirty-two year old Michael Gladden, also known as “Papa”, was shot in the head by a lone gunman on Lovely Lane. According to an eyewitness, shortly before the shooting, the suspected killer, Keon “Duppy” Myvette physically assaulted his girlfriend Prudence on the street. The enraged man then got into a fight with Gladden who was also in the area at the time.
Celia Nicholas, Eyewitness
“This thing yah start from because fi he gal deh right yah so di sit down. The gal, Nicole, Nana and Prudence. He come, Prudence no di give my pickney no cold wata. I no di give ah no cold wata, I di, dah ting, I di rinse out the baba fi give the baby some juice. He fire punch affa Prudence, punch ah inna ih mouth. Prudence walk off and gawn back so. He fire hand affa Papa, Papa no do he nothing. He noh di tell Prudence nothing, he feel like he di tell Prudence something bout he. Anyways, when he do dat now, Prudence she fire punch affa Papa, Papa grab ah inna she hair because she gat dreads. Papa grab ah inna ih hair, and Papa slam ih head down pan the ground because why he wah di fight with he fah now, he no do ah nothing, he no do ah nothing. When you look now he gwine fi gun. Me noh know weh he get gun fram, and me no kay. But that weh he do wrong. He gat ih pickney fi live fah. And da lee gal noh do nothing, Papa no tell dah gal nothing. He noh fi mi do that. Pan deh real, Duppy wrong weh ih do and I no even kay if they seh I call ih name.”
Celia Nicholas says concerned residents called the police to inform them of the fight between Gladden and Myvette but when the officers arrived both men were out of sight. The witness maintains that after the cops left, the shooter returned to the street armed with a gun.
Celia Nicholas
“One man had gun. Why they neva stay out yah, if them two police mi stay out yah, that noh mi wah ah happen. That noh mi wah happen. When the man done dead, look how much police deh deh.”
Chester Williams, Office in Charge, C.I.B.
“Had these people in this area cooperate with the police, they could have assisted the police in preventing the crime from occurring but the police were in pursuit of these persons. They went all around the block and later on the persons came right back right to the location and that’s where they had the second confrontation which resulted into the fatal shot being fired. So I will applaud my officers for their quick and prompt response. As the crime occurred, they were right in the area.”
At the scene this afternoon, police recovered one expended shell as well as a knife believed to the property of the victim Michael Gladden. As news of the death spread through the close knit community, family members rushed to the area.
Mirna Smith, Mother of Deceased
“I want know why they kill my son cause dah the same crowd that hang round here, Duppy, all ah them dah friend. They gamble and everything together around here so I noh know what dah deh problem with him because all ah them mix up with one another right down yah so, di gamble and di sell weed and different thing. So I wah know why they kill my son and gat ah down deh.”
“He dah Romeo. I noh know if they kill ah because maybe he mus ih mi play with one ah them woman or something or yeriso because round dis place dah lone gossiping around here.”
The victim and the suspected killer both live on Castle Street. Gladden, a part time construction worker, is survived by his five children and his wife Joy Belizaire. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Keon Myvette was arrested late this afternoon by police. They have yet to recover the murder weapon.
