Police Officers Fight to Detain a Drunk Colleague in Camalote
There was a scuffle on Saturday night involving a team of police officers attempting to arrest a colleague, who was reportedly drunk and acting unruly while being apprehended. The incident happened just outside of Camalote Village where Mark Rodriguez was seen driving recklessly along the George Price Highway. According to Assistant Superintendent Aaron Gamboa, who is the Officer Commanding the Special Patrol Unit, he observed the vehicle swerving dangerously across the stretch of road and when he set chase behind it, discovered that it was a fellow officer. Gamboa says he attempted to escort Rodriguez home in order to ensure his safety, but upon arriving at his residence, Rodriguez refused to hand over the keys to the vehicle and became violent.
Aaron Gamboa
ASP Aaron Gamboa, O.C., Special Patrol Unit
“About some time little after seven, about five past seven on Saturday, I was on the Western Highway in front of my in-laws residence. I saw a vehicle coming from like Cayo side towards Belmopan when I see this vehicle going from left to right, left to right. So they had some concerned citizens weh holla, “Officer weh yoh wahn do bout dat and thing?” So I seh, I wahn jump eena mi vehicle, di same government vehicle about two hundred yards away from my house I tried to chase it. Before I stopped it, a civilian had already stopped it and was really neva happy about the situation. So I come out of my vehicle and tell the person that I will deal with the situation, don’t worry, I will deal with the situation. So I came out and I asked the officer, yes officer. I tell ahn, what happened man? I tell ahn you da wahn police officer and ih look like you deh unda di influence, I smell di strong aroma of alcohol outta ih mouth and I tell ahn no man, this cyant happen. Dis could neva happen. I will deal with it fair, I will be fair with you. I said okay, I will call a driver and I will come and get the vehicle and I will take you to your house and you will give me this key and I will give you in the morning at eight o’clock. He agreed, he said no problem, he was staggering. So I sent for Gamboa Junior to come and drive the truck with him and he said sir, can we please stop by the Chiney so I can buy a cigarette. I even do that, all that I do but di Chiney close so I said okay, ih close, just follow me and about not far away from, about three hundred yards he live from me, like a neighbor so I know him very good. So I parked in the yard, so I tell ahn okay, lock up di vehicle and give me the key. When Gamboa Junior, a police officer give me the key, he started to take off his shirt. All of a sudden now everything turned around. He started to take off his shirt and started to cuss me up, bad word, I noh even wahn say it on the media in my mouth.”
Today, Rodriguez, who has a different version, was taken to court in Belmopan and charged with Harm.
