Police officer chopped in the head

A woman police officer is in critical condition tonight at the Northern Regional Hosptial. WPC Marilyn Pate accompanied personnel of the Human Development Department to the house of Oscar Perez in Trial Farm, Orange Walk on Thursday. The department was investigating Perez for allegations of sexual abuse of minors.  His reaction was swift and deadly  he attacked Pate with a machete chopping her on the head. Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Forty-four year old Oscar Perez, who also goes by the name Oscar Hernandez, is wanted by Orange Walk Police for the attempted murder of a woman police constable attached to the Domestic Unit of the Department for the past five years. Perez-Hernandez is considered armed and dangerous and has been on the run since a chopping incident around two on Thursday afternoon.

Insp. Julius Cantun, Acting O.C., Orange Walk Police

Insp. Julius Cantun

“Police officers were at the area yesterday all afternoon, however, he was able to avoid arrest. We have followed several information; we have issued a wanted person poster. He is wanted for the attempted murder of the police officer. He will also be charged for dangerous harm upon the police officer, along with other related charges. We as police officers are treating this person as being armed and dangerous. Our police officers have been cautioned. We caution the public that when they see him, be very careful. He has assaulted, he has attacked and he has injured a police officer. So we are treating this very seriously. We have information that he has relatives in Trial Farm; we have been in contact with the family of this suspect and we are working on intelligence. We have information that he may have family in August Pine Ridge and we are certain that he has family in Botes, across the border from Santa Cruz, which is just across the river. So we are liaising with the Mexican Authorities; we are providing them with the arrest warrant and the wanted poster of this person.”

WPC Marilyn Pate accompanied Human Services Representatives to the home of Perez-Hernandez in the Trial Farm Area of Orange Walk. Little did she know that she would have been chopped—almost to death. According to Inspector Julius Cantun of the Orange Walk Police, Pate was slashed three times to the head and is currently in stable condition at the Northern Regional Hospital.

Insp. Julius Cantun

“The Domestic Violence Unit section was approached by the Human Development Department, Orange Walk. They came to WPC Marilyn Pate who was on duty at the time and they provided her with certain information of sexual assault—a matter that needed to be investigated in the area of Trial Farm Village. As a result, WPC Pate accompanied the Human Development Officers to Zericote Street in Trial Farm Village where upon arrival, they approached a house where they met Mister Oscar Perez, he also goes by the name Oscar Hernandez, who was the subject of this investigation. He was approached and he was informed of the allegations being made against him—allegations of sexual assaults upon minors. For no reason inflicted three chop wounds to the head of the police officer—two to the left side of the head, one to the right side—and she also received defensive injuries to her forearm when she was on the ground, she was trying to defend herself and received injuries to the arm.”

One resident in the area witness the entire ordeal and says that the attack on Officer Pate happened in the blink of an eye before Perez-Hernandez escaped through the back of the yard.

Voice of: Eyewitness (Translated)

“The red pickup stop there and the occupants came out and went to the gate. The guy came from inside and spoke to them. I don’t know what they were saying because I was inside my house. A little while after, I saw the man go to the kitchen and the officer and the men entered the gate and stood in the shade in the yard. While standing there, the guy came running towards them with wielding the machete and attached the police officer. I ran for my phone to dial for the police. But when I looked up again, the men were taking the injured police officer to the vehicle and then rushed her to the hospital.”

Inspector Cantun says that the department will now look at safety policies to ensure that an incident like this does not reoccur.

Insp. Julius Cantun

“We have protocol and policies in place for whenever any police officers are checking into reports into any kind of report—be it traffic violation, be it domestic dispute, be it a shooting—we have policies and protocols in place. I believe there was some form of miscommunication and enough manpower was not secured for the checking of this information.”

Duane Moody for News Five.