Residents Allege Police Brutality

Diego Wade

Diego Wade is another San Pedro resident who says he barely survived a meeting with the infamous Gang Suppression Unit earlier this week, and at one point thought they would kill him. Both Wade and Allen are being represented by Attorney Oscar Salgado who says that he is fed up of the constitution being flouted by police. Wade, still bearing the bruises from his encounter, spoke to us today.

Diego Wade, Alleges Police Brutality

“Monday, I just gawn da the football field da DFC gawn play some football. And after the football game, night deh set in, so when I deh look fu goh the GSU deh reach…lone masked man and only me one inna di field, so when they meet me I mi deh without shirt, and they bally just come and tell me lay down and start beat me up, yu know, noh find no gun and thing. Then they bring wah next bally weh they mi bring and beat up, so afterwards they ker me inna di bush, put gun pon me, whap up me with gun, I all bruise up with gun, all my ribs, kick up me, put bag on my head, handcuff me, bend my back, stand up pon my back, all kinda thing they do me. I mi feel like I mi wah dead, yu know, that da the way I see it cause they ker me way inna di bush, deep inna di bush, me and wah next bally and put gun inna fu we mouth and head.”

Oscar Salgado

Oscar Salgado, Attorney for Wade and Allen

“In the case of Mr. Wade, Mr. Wade came before me and he showed me explicitly graphic scenes on his body where he was gun-butted in his head, on his chest where he was bruised, in his back…again all this because the Commissioner of Police sent Senior Superintendent Broaster to San Pedro to clean the island. I am all for law and order. I spent eighteen years of my life in the Belize Defence Force as an officer. When I was an officer walking with a pip on my shoulder the Commissioner was an officer cadet. He was not a commissioned officer. He was a junior officer to me. Mr. Broaster was a Corporal, and I know the modus operandi of the Police, so I know that this is the way the Police operate. I am saying this because this is the third time I have to be in front of the media in the last two months crying about the Police’s brutality and the Police modus operandi in the way they carry on operations, totally disregarding the constitutional provisions for the right and safety of the public. It is good that we deter crime, but crime has to be deterred in a civilized way.”

Salgado says that he will now take both men to the Professional Standards Branch of the police to make a formal complaint.