Police officer and B.D.F. soldier behind bars for kidnapping and burglary
Derrick Gideon
A police officer and a Belize Defense Soldier are sitting behind the bars of the Hattieville Prison tonight. They are accused of assaulting a minor and robbing a resident of San Pedro while asleep on a boat in an old football field in the island. The officer is not attached to the San Pedro Police Formation and the soldier was off-duty and should have remained inside the B.D.F.’s quarters on the island. But the two lawmen and the friend who was along with them when the incident occurred are also charged with kidnapping. It is a black eye on both the police and the B.D.F., but the Acting Police Press Officer, Bart Jones, says that the charges show that the police is serious about its zero tolerance policy.
A.S.P. Bart Jones, Acting Police Press Officer
“San Pedro Police visited the lagoon side of San Pedro Town where a vendor, Juan Perez reported to them that he was sleeping along with a minor, his helper, when they were awakened by persons who were claiming to be security officers who wanted to conduct a search on his vessel. He was removed from the vessel by two of the persons, while one accompanied by the minor searched the vessel. Perez is claiming that money was taken from him and the minor as well, alleges that the person who took him on board the vessel when it was searched, he was hit. As a result three persons have been detained and charged by police. One officer, sadly to say, Police Officer Derrick Gideon, A B.D.F. private, Justin Casimiro and Juan Cus, an electrician from San Pedro Town were all charged with Aggravated Burglary and Kidnapping. The police officer has since been interdicted from active duty on half pay, pending these charges.”
Jose Sanchez
Juan Cus
“These gentlemen have been remanded to the Hattieville Prison. Is Mister Gideon attached to the San Pedro Police?”
A.S.P. Bart Jones
“No, he was at one point working out in San Pedro. However, at the time of the incident he was stationed at Patrol Branch which is Queen Street, Belize City. He was on his time off, so when you’re on time off you can to go wherever you please. The Commissioner of Police would like to assure the general public as well that where wrong doing on the part of the police officers are concerned, there’s a zero tolerance and when found to be culpable they will dealt with accordingly.”
Justin Casimiro
Jose Sanchez
“This is not like the cases where a B.D.F. or police is negligent in falling asleep and losing a weapon, this is an actual crime.”
A.S.P. Bart Jones
“Certainly and it is now before the courts and we’ll wait and see what the results are thereof. Funny you mention the incident where the B.D.F. and police officer were reported to have been sleeping. That police officer was charged for the disciplinary offences of Prejudice to Good Order and Discipline and Dereliction of Duty. He appeared before the police tribunal where he pleaded not guilty. His case has now been adjourned till tomorrow where he is to reappear before the tribunal for the charges to be heard.”
The police officer, Derrick Gideon, the Belize Defense Force soldier, Justin Casimiro, and Juan Cus return will remain at the Hattieville prison until their next court appearance on April Seventh. According to the Jones, Police Corporal Norman Lewis will reappear before a tribunal at the Eastern Division on Thursday. Corporal Lewis is the police officer who took two B.D.F. soldiers, Private Faustino Coc and Hubert Jones to sleep in his car while they were on duty to patrol the south side of Belize City. While soundly asleep, someone allegedly stole B.D.F. Private Hubert Jones’ M-sixteen. The commandant has since recommended that the soldiers be discharged from the force.
This just goes to show and prove how corrupt the police department is and has been all along in Belize. It seems as though more and more of the police department’s dirty laundry is being hung out to dry as the days go by. As per usual, they will only get a slap on the wrist..we all know the police protect their own. By the way, I wonder why they placed an emphasis on the fact that this police officer was not stationed in San Pedro. Well it seems to me as though they are trying to make it known that the well protected and prioritized San Pedraños have nothing to worry about when it comes to the abuse of power and corruption that has been affecting the rest of the country especially Belize City.
it is so sad to see that the police officers and the BDF’s that should be protecting the community.Did such crime they need to be charge for their act and FIRED.Belize don’t need no police or BDF that are’nt doing their duties and the right things.
like in every tray of egg there is always a rotten stinking egg, guess what!! We through them away as far as we could so we cannot see it or smell it never again!!
These police officer have no shame, no dignity we have to get rid of them the same way we get rid of a rotten stinking egg. or sometimes I wonder if they are not selling their soul to the devil to make the government look bad!! Just a thought HMMM
i tell u…………….u kno i believe that most of law enforcers here in the beautiful country of Belize are sooooooooo Currupted…….. can i get an Amen??? these people have a strong mentality that they are “THE LAW” but let me claaaarify that………..they are “LAW ENFORCERS” they are suppose to be setting positive examples for this country………. i mean they are like leader………..c’mon now……….. corrupted officers are no difference from those criminals out there…………. can i get an Amen???? i left people like those in God’s hand………..Amen!!!!!!!!!!!
I would like to extend my sincere apology for the public officers that are behind bars just for their stupid actions. I must say to the public that civilians always think that the kind of duty they do is so simple and easy, but i must say that it is not a joke to work the shifts. GET IT RITE PEOPLE. And also when these officers try to do the rite thing to save the publics from thier enemies they say that they da lone r!!!!!!!!!!!! So mek we stop think negativity upon them and lets try co-operate instead of talking bad bout dem. DMMMMMMMMMM IT!