Father and son claim they were brutalized by GSU

A father and his son are alleging police brutality after police stormed their residence on Mahogany Street Extension and reportedly beat them up for no reason.  The home of Nestor Galindo Senior and Junior was raided by police following a weekend shooting, despite the fact that no charges have been levied against them regarding the incident.  The alleged beating left both men in pain, the father hospitalized and his son with a black and blue left eye.  Despite their ordeal, today they were jointly slapped with a number of charges, including assaulting a police officer and harm, among other charges.  The Galindos were arraigned this morning in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on a total of six charges.  Following their arraignment, both father and son spoke with News Five in the presence of their lawyer.  According to attorney Bryan Neal, the men were followed to their home by the police.  When they arrived, the police reportedly grabbed Nestor Junior who was in the company of his dad and began to rough him up and manhandle him.  He then intervened on his behalf, asking them why they were beating his son and that’s when he too was assaulted.

Bryan Neal, Attorney

“The police went to their house, grabbed his son out of the vehicle and started to beat his son on the ground. When the father intervened to find out why they were beating his son; they started to beat him. Mister Galindo has machete wounds inflicted by the police. Look at those machete wounds. When did the police start to carry machetes? They burst his head. He was hospitalized yesterday. And what has added insult to injury is that they have failed to issue a medico-legal form. I went to the police station on Sunday, on father’s day, to get a medico-legal form. And the police are obliged to at least assist you to take yo to the hospital. Not even that dehn willing to do. So dehn beat yo and yo can’t even go to the hospital to get examined.”

Reporter

Bryan Neal

“What was the purpose behind going to their residence?”

Bryan Neal

“Nothing, nothing incriminating has been found. They haven’t been charged with any other offence other than the offense of resisting arrest and foolishness.”

Reporter

“Did something transpired prior to their visit?”

Bryan Neal

“My clients are absolutely innocent. None of them have ever been in a police station; none of them have ever been in court. They have done nothing; they did nothing to deserve to be beaten at the hands of Belize. With a machete? When have police start keep machete dah Belize?”

Reporter

“And these are all GSU?”

Bryan Neal

“GSU officers.”

They were both offered bail in the sum of two thousand dollars each, plus one surety of the same amount which they met by midday. Both Galindo Senior and Junior are due back in court on August sixth.