Policeman shot by fellow officer

Police Detective Mark August is at the KHMH tonight, recuperating from what police say is an accidental gunshot wound in the leg he received while on duty Friday night. According to Assistant Police Commissioner Hugh Cain, a police mobile unit responded to an incident on Mopan Street in Belize City, in which two men were firing at each other. A back-up team apprehended one of the gunmen while two officers, a detective in plain clothes and an officer in camouflage, pursued the other. After jumping over several fences the officer saw the barrel of a gun and thought it belonged to the suspect in a dark yard. He fired a shot, only to hear the detective shout “police” in an effort to identify himself. The cry came too late as Detective August was already wounded in the leg by his fellow officer. To make matters worse, the suspect got away. Police investigation of the incident continues.