Julius Espat and WPC Trapp Lock Horns with Lawyer Letters
The events of Sunday morning, in Teakettle Village, during which there was a verbal exchange between Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat and Woman Police Constable Alicia Trapp continues to gain traction in the news. The tiff happened while both individuals were standing in front of the primary school where village council elections were being held. In the wake of that incident, the Belize Police Department is investigating what appears to be a breach of its rigid social media policy, following a Facebook Live post that was made by the irate officer. Earlier today, the law firm of Elrington and Company wrote to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and Attorney General Magali Marin-Young requesting an update on a complaint made against Espat for allegedly physically and verbally attacking W.P.C. Trapp. That letter was immediately followed by another dispatch to ComPol Williams and the A.G., in respect of Trapp’s constitutional rights as it pertains to her engagement in political activities. Going back to the altercation, News Five spoke by phone earlier today with United Democratic Party Chairman Mike Peyrefitte who weighed in on the matter. Here’s what he shared with us.
On the phone: Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, United Democratic Party
“It’s not good. I don’t think it’s proper to berate a police officer simply because she is wearing red or she is speaking to someone who is affiliated with a political party on a particular poling day. I mean, she didn’t do anything wrong. I wasn’t there so I don’t know exactly what happened, but based on what we’ve been told and based on the expressions by the police officer, I believe her and I think that she was just simply there to exercise her franchise to vote, to exercise her right to be there and simply because of the color she was wearing and who she was speaking to, she was basically attacked by members from the Cayo South PUP people, so I don’t approve of that at all and I will stand fully behind the police officer.”
