Dyandre Chee Laid to Rest; Cops Arraigned for his Murder
We begin tonight’s newscast with the arraignment of two police officers for the shooting death of a young man in Orange Walk Town over the weekend. Two of four policemen assigned to the Quick Response Team in that northern municipality were paraded to the Magistrate’s Court and charged for the murder of nineteen-year-old Dyandre Chee. But as Corporal Esmin Flores and Constable Salomen Cowo were being arraigned for the killing, Chee’s family and friends were a few blocks away laying him to rest. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It was a somber moment today in Orange Walk as the body of nineteen-year-old Dyandre Chee was laid to rest in his home town. Around nine-thirty this morning, there was a procession to the La Inmaculada Catholic Church for funeral service; the body of the young man was later interred at a nearby cemetery.
Alberto Chee
Alberto Chee, Father of Deceased
“I don’t have the words to say how I feel right now because they lef me without a son. I don’t have words for that.”
Simultaneously, as the funeral service got underway, Police Corporal Esmin Flores and Police Constable Salomen Cowo were arraigned for Dyandre’s killing inside the Magistrate’s Court. They were jointly charged for the March twenty-fifth murder of the youth.
Duane Moody
“What can you tell us sir about the charges levelled against two of your police officers?
Gerald Jones
Supt. Gerald Jones, Deputy Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“I have no comments at this time.”
Duane Moody
“Sir, has the investigation been able to say who fired the deadly shot that killed Mister Dyandre?”
Dyandre Chee
Supt. Gerald Jones
“The matter is before the court and we will see where we go from there.”
Reporter
“In the end sir do you feel that only one of these men will be charged?”
Supt. Gerald Jones
“I have nothing else to say on this matter.”
No plea was taken in court and Corporal Flores and Constable Cowo were remanded to the Belize Central Prison until July twenty-sixth when they are to reappear in court for disclosure. Alberto Chee says that while the two officers have been arraigned for murder, the two others should also be charged.
Alberto Chee
“That’s great. That’s great for me. It’s good news for them to be charged with murder.”
Reporter
“What you have to say about the other two police officers that were involved in the incident?”
Alberto Chee
“Well I think they should also be charged because within four of them, they supposed to join together and make a decision not to chase the cyclists. They could have easily get the license plate of the cycle and deal with the guy the next day.”
Reporter
“Only one man could have fired the fatal shot so do you think this murder charge for two of them will stand?”
Alberto Chee
“Well of course because maybe one is the guy that shoot my son and maybe the other guy give the command to do it, so they both have to get charged for murder. And also the other two police should be charged too.”
During the arraignment, Magistrate Deborah Rogers outlined the details of the tragic night – that the four officers who were members of the QRT pursued the group of persons who were on motorcycles and fired a barrage of shots. One of those rounds caught Dyandre Chee in the abdomen, mortally wounding him. Despite Chee being rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital, he succumbed to his injury. The family maintains that the killing could have been prevented.
Alberto Chee
“I really appreciate the way the police got charged for murder because they really deserve that for my son. Between four of them at least the next two suppose to tell them shoot; it is just a cyclist. The police always chase the cyclists and my son couldn’t stop because they had the high beam and they tailgate all the cyclists. If you stop, they could mash them and as the cyclists dehn stop, the police always beat them up, put them in jail for three days – Saturday, Sunday – it’s too much with them.”
Reporter
“In the past did Dyandre find himself in something similar? Officers chasing them?”
Alberto Chee
“No, no. First time. He don’t have no record with police at the station. He don’t drink, he don’t smoke so he done have no trouble out there.”
Reporter
“Are you planning to sue the department sir?”
Alberto Chee says that the family will be seeking legal advice to sue the department.
Alberto Chee
“Definitely sure. I will be looking into that tomorrow to get a lawyer for that.”
Reporter
“What is Dyandre’s wife saying? He left behind a one-year-old baby.”
Alberto Chee
“Yes, my granddaughter one-year three months old. That’s the granddaughter he leaves behind. My daughter needs to have the finance for the primary school and till the age of eighteen or twenty-one if ih go to high school. My son is not there to maintain her so I need that for my granddaughter because they took away the breadwinner of my granddaughter and the mother of my granddaughter.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
