Shot by cop, soldier faults police
A pre-Tenth outing at a Hattieville night spot has left a twenty one year old villager hospitalized with gunshot wounds to his leg. And the off duty Belize Defence Force soldier says the irresponsible behaviour of the police is responsible for his injury. Arthur Danderson Junior says he was playing pool on Thursday night when the police simply showed up and began searching patrons of the Bombay club.
Arthur Danderson Jr., Alleges Police Brutality
?Wah officer, ah think he name Ramirez. He come from through the back I guess when they reversed he jumped out. He neva have on no shirt ina wah brown pants. He come from through the back and as he reach he started to threaten people with wah pump; the push it dah people head.?
?Two officers come and they stop ?bout six of us in a the pool area and start to search. They search the first man and they let him go and they search the second one when they come fuh search me now, the attitude weh this officer haul me, I fling up y hand like that. As I fling up my hand they knock me in a my head. When I turn around the first person I see dah this Ramirez with this pump so actually I think dah he knock me in my head. When he knocked me in a my head, I deliver myself that I deh in a BDF, I dah wah soldier. He talk, he no care, but with a lot of bad words, smell a liquor, lot of bad words. So, me and him meet dah the door with wah lot of exchange of words. He push the pump in a my chest, point blank range I have to push my strength fuh pull it away.?
?So when I the walk around the club, dah the same way Ramirez the walk but he the walk back way. So he think I the walk fuh charge after him. I no have nothing in a my hand, I the walk fuh go home he brakes me in front of the club and asked me what I deh pan. I tell him just ease me, make I go home. The man ask me if I think he serious, I tell him me no deh pan your speed. Point blank range he fired a round over my head.?
?So when this happen now the crowd the go on rowdy. The crowd the come from behind me. So when this happen now he walks from the entrance to the club. He the walk, but dah the same way I the walk I the walk fuh go home. Now he reach on the main street, I have to pass the main street fuh go pan the next lance fuh go home. So he get pan the street and he ask me weh I deh pan, the threaten me and how he no like BDF and wah lot a fool, talk about a time when a police shot a BDF and wah lot a fool.?
?Point blank range he shoot me in a my foot and he run up the distance like he is running towards Belize City, the trooper drive off from our of the club and gone dah the station. Dah the owner of the club have to pick me up and meet the ambulance half way about four miles.?
Danderson was shot just below his left knee and his mother says doctors have indicated that he will need extensive therapy to be able to use the leg again.
G. Michael Reid says the story reads differently from the perspective of the police.
G. Michael Reid, Police Press Officer
?Some time around close to midnight on Thursday police receive reports of a burglary in progress at a nearby school in Hattieville. Police responded and they were asking some questions around, doing some investigating. And thereafter shortly, they smelt the aroma of marijuana being smoked. And they saw a couple of people who they attempted to search. One of the persons refused to be searched and in fact made some aggression towards the police officer. The police officer from all reports fired a warning shot and proceeded to back away, but this individual continued to aggress and as a result the police fired a shot that hit the individual in the leg.?
Patrick Jones
?The victim claims that while the police claim that he was approaching them in a menacing manner, all he was doing is try to get past the police officer who had blocked the entrance so that he could get to go home.?
G. Michael Reid
?Well there was no entrance as such. This occurred outside of the club and all this was in the street. And we do have witnesses that do substantiate that fact. It?s regrettable Patrick and there is indeed an investigation as it is whenever an officer discharges his firearm. The Commissioner wants to know exactly what occurred so at this point the investigation is underway and we are asking anyone who has information to come forth let us know exactly what occurred.?
Danderson says that through his commanding officer, he will be submitting a full report on the incident, but has already given verbal accounts to the police.
