Slain Officer’s Family Speaks Out

Twenty-four hours after they received the news of his murder, the family of twenty year old Conorquie are reeling from the grief. The vibrant young man known as ‘Bobotch’ lived with his grandfather Eustace in front of the family home in Georgeville. His family last spent time with him over the weekend as he prepared to return to his post at the Caracol Mayan Site, where he would work for two weeks at a time. Today News Five visited the home where the family prepares to bury the man they loved, respected and cherished. Mike Rudon has the story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

Danny Conorquie lived in this house with his grandfather. They got the news that he’d been shot and killed at about three Thursday afternoon from another Policeman.

Eustace Conorquie

Eustace Conorquie, Grandfather of Danny Conorquie

“When I hear it I neva believe it…when I hear da true and I hear how e happen I seh they mussi tek he een…cause he always deh on the alert. He like his job. He like his job when it comes to his firearms and things. He keep dat inna shape. When I hear the thing really true I seh they mussi tek ah off guard.”

And even without knowing the details, Eustace Conorquie was right. Danny was ambushed by men who came out of the bush and shot him in the back. Danny died doing the only job he ever loved.

Britney Conorquie, Sister of Deceased

“Dat da the only job he eva wish fu have, and he get it. He neva miss work. He could sick and he still go. Sometimes they come for him out of his bed one o’clock and he still get up and go.”

Britney Conorquie

Reporter

“When was the last time you saw him?”

Britney Conorquie

“Sunday. He come out Sunday because he mi need some stuff, and he tell we he noh wah go back cause he just have wah feeling, but he still gawn.”

A post-mortem examination was conducted on Danny Conorquie this afternoon at one. As they stood outside  of the morgue in the pouring rain waiting, his aunt Jennifer and mother Jean told us that even as they grieve, they are proud that Danny died serving his country.

Jennifer Conorquie

Jennifer Conorquie, Aunt of the Deceased

“He loved his job so Danny was not a scared person. He loved what he was doing. He wasn’t really a police officer; he was a special constable working with the tourism police. He’s not an officer, but he had dreamt to be a police officer and I know that if he had gotten into the force, he would be one of the officers that where that uniform with pride.”

Jean Conorquie

Jean Conorquie, Mother of Deceased

“Danny loved his job and ih always talk about defending himself on the job. But then I noh know weh gone wrong. I don’t know what gone wrong and they hurt mi son. I di try hold up but just now when I gone see ahn in there, ih noh look like my son at all. Right now they di do the post mortem so we had to gone ID the body and it really hard. It noh even look like Danny. I know someday Danny mi wah get hurt—either with the cycle weh ih love or with ih job—but I neva expect it like this. They neva had to do my son that.”

The man who will perhaps miss Danny the most is his grandfather. He sat alone on his verandah today, as if waiting for ‘bobotch’ to come home.

Eustace Conorquie

“Everybody round di neighbourhood like ah. They call ah ‘bobotch,’ but e name Danny. Because of his friendliness and thing…e like run a lot of joke, and people like him fu dat. He was never upstart, never got out of hand and lose his respect…anytime you see ah come he come een and seh dad…weh you gat fu eat. I tell ah bwoy nothing and he seh well I wah fix up something. And quick time he light up da stove and cook something. He was like that. He neva vex or nothing. I neva see one day da bwoy get up and loss his manners fu me or anybody.”

Danny Conorquie will be laid to rest in Georgeville on Sunday. Mike Rudon for News Five.