Police kill ‘Jewboy’ while investigating Lord’s Bank fight
O'neil Anthony Jones
The murder statistics continue to rise with the city’s latest homicide at the Biltmore Plaza on Sunday morning; victim number seven for February. That story is coming up, but first we go to the tragic death of a Jamaican national who was killed in Lord’s Bank. The victim intervened to stop an argument at a bar. He left the scene but shortly after, he was dead and the fatal shots were fired by a police officer, who the victim had a gun. Jose Sanchez has the story of how life ended for the carpenter who made Belize his home.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
O’Neil Jones, migrated to Belize about two years ago to live a better life and to support his family in Jamaica. The fifty-four year old lived alone in a home in Lord’s Bank Village; one block away from the Ruba Bar, where he drank with friends before he was shot and killed on the road.
Voice of: Friend of Deceased
“I was here at night when di thing happened. He did went through a couple changes wid some guys. I come out and I told him it doesn’t make sense. So we walked back inside. After a little while, I guess he came out that’s when everything had happened there. I went home, I ran out back and I asked the police what happened. They just looked at me and told me to let me just calm down myself and let them do their work. It was still my concern because I was a very close friend of the guy. I was asking them what did he do? Did he have anything on him? they didn’t answer; all they said was calm down. I told them I can’t calm down when I watch my friend dead in front of me right here. And they just lied off like that and they took the body and they took off.”
One of the two officers who were called to break up a fight at the Ruba Bar fired three times at O’Neil as he rode home, because someone said he had a gun. Neighbors recovered one of the shells. The chairman of Lord’s Bank Village was at the bar when the incident occurred.
Walter Sosa
Walter Sosa, Vice Chairman Lord’s Bank Village
“What I saw dah night, I noh happy wid it because dehn kill wah innocent man. When di police just arrive yah so and somebody tell dehn si di man deh weh di give trouble. Jewboy noh mi di give no trouble. Yes dehn halla afta Jewboy but dehn neva did call wah name or nothing. Jewboy just get pan ih bike and ih continue ride. Dehn just shot pan ih back. Afta dat we hear another bullet and dat supposed to be di one weh ketch di man inna ih head. Di man continue ride pan di bike inna dah direction. We find di man die over deh. Di police throw ah inna di back seat and den from deh dehn tek ah and put ah inna di pan because dehn realize di man done dead.”
Jose Sanchez
“I understand he was parting a fight in the bar.”
Walter Sosa
“He mi di part wah fight weh mi di—noh actually wah fight—it was an argument.”
Jewboy was well liked in the village. The village chairman says that he didn’t have to die.
Walter Sosa
“Di officers dehn mi have wah barbecue at di Police Station and definitely guys when dehn di have wah barbecue out deh, dehn drinking. When dehn come dis side di policeman mi drunk, under alcoholic. Di village noh happy wid dehn because we actually believe dah di police dah di one dehn weh fi tek care ah fi we village out yah. But what? We can’t trust dehn.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you think if there weren’t any drinking involved this wouldn’t have happened?”
Walter Sosa
“It wouldn’t happen because if dehn neva mi di drink, dehn mi wah know how fi shoot di guy; at least ih foot or something. But when you drunk you can’t focus pan weh yoh di do.”
Jewboy worked as a cabinet maker who sold to businesses. The artistry of his handiwork is still evident on the unfinished cabinet he intended to complete on Saturday morning. He leaves behind four daughters in Jamaica and his friends in Lords Bank. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
that police officer should be charged with murder. i bet they didn’t recover any gun.
What are we coming to, there is a need to get police some more training as they are more smarter but have no common sense. In the pass most policemen only have primary school but were more intelligent and know how to deal with the public. It is time for some drastic measurements as we need to take back our country where it was once a respectable place. May God have mercy on us, we need to set some examples so that we can trust our officers as we all need them. Not all of them are bad so we need to assist and exercise some positive judgments.
We are waiting for a full investigation and ….JUSTICE!!!!
see how ca nwe trust the police, i’ve seen police drinking in my neighbor hood in uniform , how’s that? doesn’t it riing a bell to the goverment ?
What a shame, has occured here.
The life of this person who was trying to work hard for his family is heartbreaking. Imagine if you put yourself in this situation, what do you think the wife and children are expecting? They want to have a life like you and me. Lost of this man will put sorrow and even death in the family because who will help the famiy if even life was already hard for them. People think and stop the drinking of the devils drink b/c if will only lead you to do its bad work and corrupt your mind. Police should be charged and compensate the family of the deceased or you will be facing the consequences of the sorrow they once might plague on you. God Bless.
Reminds me of the incident where a police officer was drinking IN A POLICE (PUBLIC) VEHICLE and got into a fight at the bar and the person who he got into a fight with was charged for allegedly damaging the vehicle parked outside!!!! NOW explain to me how come none of the media houses picked up on that and no one seemed appalled with this. But we all know why, because this keeps happening all over the country that we don’t see anything wrong with this!!! From blue licence plates onward!!! The government needs to make an example of these individuals, this cannot continue!
dat is typical police work, act then investigate not the other way how it should be
way back the police was hanging in them circles not publicly and acting lawless and ting because everyone is responsible for their action no matter who and that is the problem//come on when we used to jolly ride the mini moke them out da foshore we were sanctioned by our prefect presently Dean Barrow we looked up to you even then because you taught us about responsibility that we did not wanted to know but it helped me to this day because i have abide by the law and we would like to trust in the law//these officers that are acting so dreadful should be dealt with accordingly no matter what or whom people should feel safe in leaving their homes if they chose//mek sure the prime minister see this comment//bless all the families that has lost a love one//each one teach one
HOW CAN THE POLICE CONTROL THE STREETS WHEN THEY EVEN CONTROL THEM SELVES!!
The police seh he nuh know weh part fi start fi stop crime da belize.well i wah tell the police this
start with unu selves.
Many of the police officer don’t have sense.As a matter of fact alot of them should’nt even be a police man or carry a GUN. Because they are too eager to SHOT and the SAD part is the most ot the time it’s innocent people that get SHOT an KILLED.SHAME ON BELIZE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
shame and belize police can not sul crime i am a belizean live in N Y I was a ms 13 now i am man of god i pray belize will be the belize i new
I totally agree with brown & Sar .Something really need to be done to those police who are taking innocent life!!!
It doesn’t matter what we say, the police are so deep in with the criminals that I am surprised more of this hasn’t happended. Strange how everybody in Belize, EXCEPT the police, know who does what and when. Maybe some of the $1.2 million being spent chasing billionaires should be spent on developing a real police force in this damn country!
This police should be penalized as any other citizen for crime. They cannot be drinking and working (wearing the uniform) and he was not in office, then he had no right to shoot the guy while deunk. What a shame for our law system too. This officer should not be one and should be behind bars. Sentenced!!!!!!!! Instead of reducing crime and protecting people, they are the one giving the example and raising our crime rate, which is already enough.
If the police is serious about crime then they must lead by example. The Police officer need to stand trial for the crime he committed. This man was not a troublesome person, he worked hard to earn a decent living to provide for himself and his family. He was a talented wood carver. He led a simple life and the police was way out of line and the public should be informed of who he is and he should be prosecuted. How do you justify shooting a man in his back, that is the act of a coward. The police job is to protect but it seems the community needs protecting from the Police themselves
I dont think they should have killed that man like that. They should be careful when dealing with people and know everything before they make their move. Most of the time the innocent people get hurt and the guilty ones get away. But God is the Judge to everything!!!