Belmopan Residents Protest Police “Inaction” Regarding Six-year-old Double Murder
A group of about twenty-five persons gathered in Belmopan at seven this morning to hold a protest against the Belize Police Department, and more specifically, the Belmopan formation. The protestors feel that the police have failed to bring charges in connection with a double murder that occurred in May of 2016, when in their view, there is sufficient evidence to lay charges. The victims were Shawn Lopez and Akeem Thimbriel, who were both shot and killed near Lopez’s home in Camalote Village. News Five’s Marion Ali was in Belmopan and spoke to a few of the protestors who were willing to talk and filed the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
A father, still grieving the loss of his son to gun violence six years ago, today led a protest in the nation’s capital to implore the Belize Police Department to bring the perpetrators to justice. Pastor Irvin Thimbriel told News Five during the event that he is convinced there is sufficient evidence available to bring forward criminal charges, but that there have been efforts from within the department to suppress the case from making progress from the onset.
Pastor Irvin Thimbriel, Father of Akeem Thimbriel
Pastor Irvin Thimbrie
“They found a slug in my son’s hand and when they did the ballistic test on that slug, they found the gun. That person was allowed to walk away and go to the States. One time when I went to them and asked for the information, they couldn’t even tell me where the file was. So who is actually following up on these things? What system is in place?”
Pastor Thimbriel said that from his perusal of the evidence provided, the case file was fraught with inaccuracies. He said that his demand for answers went all the way to the House of Representatives and it prompted reaction that made him discover the errors.
Pastor Irvin Thimbriel
“It was taken to the House by the Area Rep of Cayo South. That spurred the previous prime minister to get a report from the police and give it to me. You know when I read that report, that report has a date that is one year wrong. In that report, it is shown that they were supposed to wa get an F-150, the police went and got a 4-Runner. To make an error like that. Physically looking at those vehicles, they’re not even close.”
Pastor Scott Stirm
Pastor Scott Stirm, Pastor, Belmopan
“We’ve seen some of the evidence and we know and we know that there’s more than sufficient evidence. There’s eyewitnesses. Listen, there’s inaction on this issue and there’s a reason why there’s inaction.”
Marion Ali
“Why would you say there’s reason?”
Pastor Scott Stirm
“I will say what everybody knows about our nation but doesn’t want to say: people have dirt on other people. And if these ones talk then they’re going to expose the dirt. And then – that’s why I say “darkness starts to cover the land.”
Thimbriel is not the only relative of a murder victim who is annoyed with the Police Department. Rudolph Williams told us that he too is hoping to see someone get charged for the murder of his son, Rudolph Junior, several years ago.
Rudolph Williams Sr., Father of Rudolph Williams Jr.
Rudolph Williams Sr.
“It’s quite a while now they kill my son, couple years. Independence night they killed my son soh anytime Independence Day I memba my son.”
Zelda Hill, Relative of Akeem Thimbriel
“We’re sending a message to the authorities, to whoever can intervene in this situation to ask the Police to do their investigation properly.”
While it has been six years since the cousins were gunned down, their relatives say they will not stop until they get some answers.
Zelda Hill
Zelda Hill
“If it has been labeled a cold case, I hope this march today will help them to reopen that file and dig further and try to come to some conclusion of what happened.”
The protestors marched the length of Forest Drive where to an open lot near the Belmopan Police Department where speeches were made before they dispersed.
Marion Ali reporting for News Five.
