Belize City youth charges police brutality

1998 has not been a good year for police public relations. The failure to catch Winty Mangar and Douglas Williams combined with two recent shootings of unarmed civilians by officers on special duty, have tarnished the department’s image, which wasn’t particularly polished in the first place. Today comes more bad news. An eighteen year old Belize City man claims that he was beaten by a plain clothes cop on Wednesday evening. According to Bruce Cocom, he was at a neighborhood shop on Central American Boulevard when a police officer known to him as Kurlin Hamilton punched him in the mouth.

Bruce Cocom, Alleged Victim

“Yesterday I was by the Chinese and this police named Kurlin Hamilton, one time me and him was on the court playing ball and he came on the court not wanting me to play ball and saying that I broke a pint. And last night met me in front of the Chinese and grab me by my throat. And just punch out two of my teeth. And I no know for what. He was on a bike, he alone. I don’t know which way he came from but I was right in front of the Chinese and I just feel somebody grab me and turn me around and punch me in my mouth.”

Irma Cocom, Bruce’s Mother

“Yesterday when he reached home after six, when he said the police beat him up, punch him up in his mouth, knock out his teeth, when he reached home his mouth was full of blood. He could barely talk; I felt frightened and I hurry get ready and try catch a taxi and gone straight to the police station. All I want they do is to fix Bruce’s teeth back, because Bruce is young you see. Very upset me because I don’t know what is wrong with the police because I think Bruce tell me that this police just joined the force ’97 and I don’t know if he joined the force for revenge or because he has a lot of hate.”

According to the officer in charge of Patrol Branch, David Henderson, Hamilton, who joined the force last year, is likely to be interdicted from duty while an investigation of the incident is conducted.