1 Prisoner is Fatally Shot During Prison Uprising
Stephan Jenkins
The police and B.D.F. search stretched miles away from the Hattieville prison extending to the Coastal Road where there was an exchange of gunfire between a group of the escapees and law enforcement. But back at the prison, the situation remained tenuous giving way to an uprising this morning. More than one hundred prisoners in Tango Seven revolted against five guards for a lockdown that was instituted this morning due to the threat of the COVID 19. While the dangerous situation was brought under control, one prisoner, Stephan Jenkins, was shot and succumbed at the K.H.M.H. hours later. Hipolito Novelo reports at the Hattieville prison when the uprising erupted.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Today, C.E.O. of the Kolbe Foundation Virgilio Murillo was asked about the uprising between prisoners and prison guards this morning. Shots were fired and two inmates were injured.
Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation
“They were live ammunition, pistols. One prisoner got shot in his ankle and the other got shot in his buttocks I think but not life threatening wound any at all.”
But for Stephan Jenkins it was. The Belize City resident Stephan was pronounced dead this afternoon at the K.H.M.H. He has been shot by officers at the prison after a riot was beginning. The unrest erupted in Tango Seven and the inmates were upset that the Kolbe Foundation was instituting a twenty one day lockdown due to COVID-19 infection within prison walls. During the unrest, officers were injured.
Virgilio Murillo
Virgilio Murillo
“We understand that this morning they barricaded the building with the chairs and benches that they have in there and they just began fighting with the prison officers that were in that building. One of them sustained what the doctor referred to as multiple head trauma, suspected a fractured nose so he was sent to the K.H.M.H. for further evaluation. But certainly we got a hold of it and we have it under control and the police came here to show support as well.”
Murillo explained why live bullets were used rather than rubber bullets to take control of the matter. He says that the one hundred and sixteen prisoners exhibited violent behaviour.
Virgilio Murillo
“We don’t have rubber bullets at the time. What we have s pepper ball but the way they were going on violent because if you see the guard you would get the understand on how vicious they were. They were literally out to kill and so that was the only way to control the hundred and sixteen. It was a lot of prisoners. Roughly, three or four prison guards.”
Chester Williams
That’s one hundred angry prisoners against five prisons guards, locked in Tango Seven. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and Murillo say that control over the prison will never be handed to the prisoners.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“For Christ sake, prisoners come to prison to be locked down. Why is it going to be an issue because they are going to be lockdown? That is where they belong to be lock down and I fully support him. Prisoners should not come to prison and dictate what should occur with them in terms of whether they are locked down or allowed to be walking in the compound. That is why it is called a prison.”
Virgilio Murillo
“The people who were trying to kick up a storm if you look at their history, their conduct in prison, these are people who keep giving the prison trouble. They are either violent, they are disruptive, they are assaultive. We can’t have that in prison. They are here to be disciple and we are going to do what we have to do to show them that we are in charge. We will be in charge at the end of the day if I need to call the commissioner for additional men that is what I will do. But they will not take over the prison, that much I can tell you.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
