Cop flung from truck and robbery suspects run for freedom

Statistically, most of the country’s murders take place in Belize City, particularly in the south side. But it must be noted that all four of this week’s murders took place on the north side of the city, traditionally regarded as a safe area. Now that the bubble has burst on that myth, it should come as no surprise that the hot pursuit police were engaged in this afternoon began on Coney Drive, literally spilled into traffic near Nazarene High and Belize Elementary Schools and wound up at the University of Belize Business School Campus in West Landivar. The firing of shots near the hospital was caused following a robbery on Coney Drive.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

This afternoon in Belize City, the cops were chasing suspects on Princess Margaret Drive, Coney Drive and University Drive. No less than uniformed cops in Anti Drug Unit (ADU) uniforms and Gang Suppression Unit  officers were combing the north side of the city for three men. The officers were responding to a robbery at Moon Grocery on Coney Drive. Police confirmed the initial capture of one suspect, and witnesses explained that they saw one officer sitting with the detained man in the pan of the police pick-up.  But according to witnesses, the haste with which the driver swung around the intersection of Princess Margaret and Coney Drive, the officer was flung from the truck.  A preliminary police report claims that the officer was pushed. However, a chaotic scene occurred in the school district as these witnesses explained off-camera.

Voice of: Witness # 1

“I look out and ih take a sudden curve on the corner and when I look the man, di police man mi deh pan di corner of the pan—one leg out and one leg in. And ih just flip.”

Jose Sanchez

“The policeman flipped out of the truck?”

Voice of: Witness # 1

“Yes. And then wah bicycle come from behind the vehicle and then the next police man he knock on top.

Jose Sanchez

“So where did the police man land?”

Voice of: Witness # 1

“Ina di hole.”

Voice of: Witness # 2

“Half ina the drain and half deh out. After dehn tend to the police man, the bally weh dehn ketch from wah robbery weh dehn do and dehn mi gwen fi see wah other robbery. So the piolice man he flip out; dehn di guard the next one in the vehicle. He escaped out of the vehicle. Police man start let go shots ina di air, catch ahn by Elementary corner there; give ahn wah two jabs and put ahn back ina di vehicle.” 

Voice of: Witness # 1

“We know the policeman get bad hurt because blood di come from the two corner of ih ears.”

Jose Sanchez

“You said ih had wah foot ina di vehicle and one outside. So ih mi di sit down bad.”

Voice of: Witness # 1

“Yeah ih mi di sit down bad and dehn dah the one always di give yo advice not to sit on the pan.”

Jose Sanchez

“Shots were fired near Belize Elementary; did that cause any commotion?”

Voice of: Witness # 1

“Just that people mi di out di run out. I mi got customers, people di sit down the eat. And the gunshots fired up ina di air after the man. Two other people come from down soh and dehn gone straight.”

Jose Sanchez

“Towards UB?”

Voice of: Witness # 1

“Mmhmm because there was another robbery in process.”

So after shooting at least two shots in the vicinity of Belize Elementary School, some officers deployed to Moon Grocery and others continued in pursuit towards UB Business School Campus in West Landivar. Since it is a Friday evening, few people were on campus, but staff and students were barred from leaving the compound. Well armed officers attached to the GSU and ADU branches searched the compound at ground level and as high as the roof for their suspects. The officers eventually drove off campus after other officers  made a capture in the mangrove behind UB. By this time two suspects including, the one whom escaped during the Coney Drive accident  were captured. They found themselves unhappily sitting on the floor of a pick-up pan, with two guards, heading to the Queen Street Police Station. Despite the accident, these officers sat  on the edge of the pan. So the cops captured the suspects, and according to Moon Grocery clerks,  the robbery itself was captured on Moon Grocery’s closed circuit video. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

It is expected that the suspects will be charged on Monday. When News Five last spoke to the clerks at Moon Grocery, they were in the process of handing over the surveillance video of the robbery to the police.