Customs officer died from blow to the head
Mathias Duran
The post mortem examination on the body of a customs officer who died while in police custody in Orange Walk Town has concluded and it doesn’t offer much to the ongoing investigation into his death. Twenty-eight year old Mathias Duran died from a fractured skull due to a blow to the head. He was laid to rest today. The incident occurred sometime after one on Sunday morning while Orange Walk police were transporting Duran from the Hi Five Club on Aurora Street to the police station in that municipality. He had been involved in a fight and police were detaining him for the night. But somewhere along the way to the police station, something went wrong and Duran met his death on Queen Victoria Avenue. An investigation is underway, and Orange Walk police have denied being at fault, but the Duran family has laid blame squarely at the feet of the Orange Walk Police, alleging that they were speeding with an intoxicated Duran in the pan of their police pickup. They are filing a law suit against the Department for negligence.
Oh yeah…as usual… blame the police.i don’t drink and do drugs because i don’t know how it will affect me….and frankly…i really don’t wanna know.If you know that you’re usually an ass when you drink,…guess what?…don’t drink.As far as i’m concerned,that should be written off as a suicide….we make our own paths through life.
Poor fellow Belizean. What a tragic death ended his life that was filled with a promising future.
Condolences to the family.
ceecee!…are you serious the police should have taken more precautions…i don’t drink or smoke either but they didn’t secure their inmate properly…yes blame the police they are careless pigs and they feel like they are above the law…
This story is a total LIE no one will jump out a moving truck. Police have to stop killing people same way they are killing people should start killing them. Belize have no Justice to offer to no Belizean. First of all when police detain someone they should be sitting flat and next thing the police throw him out of that truck…… Ministry Perdomo is dum and you have to go stop take up for police cause sooner or later Belize will have no kind of justice system……….That is true Belizeanlivingabroad they are pig and they need to be dealt with…….
Empress, in response to your comment “Minster Perdomo is Dum” I’d like to share with you an excerpt from Evan X Hyde’s editorial:
“Let’s be real. We ask the policemen to do our dirty work for us, and then when they behave in a cowardly or psychotic manner, and we find out, we come down hard on them. If we don’t find out, now, we don’t care. But when it’s brought to our attention, we all start preaching.
Crime should not be a party political issue. But, since crime is probably the no. 1 issue in the daily lives of those who live in the population/media center, the politicians and their propagandists can’t resist the temptation to jump into the crime discussion, even lead it. We all know politicians. Most of what they do is blame the other side. It’s because they are in that we have this crime problem. ‘Put us back in as soon as possible, and we’ll fix it.’ Please. You were in for ten years and crime was as bad a problem as it is now. Crime has very little to do with which of the two political parties is in power.
– Evan X Hyde, “From the Publisher”, March 3, 2010
http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=9614
hey mr. pig lover living abroad, am glad u aint here cause u would jusm compound belizes problems, 1 more ignorant human being. the police did rite and all of knows how stupid ppl can get when they are drunk so dont be blaming the pol for his bravo attempts at escaping. he wasnt a child , he knew his limitations and he decided to take the risk and guess wat hes dead. so wat will all this discussions help him in? nothin! just take care of urselfs wen uno drink esp. the abroad ones
Blow to the head? confuse did they hit him in the head with something… UDP is in power now right so they better start investigation with policemen too or else we dont wnt to see or hear that belize will be the next Juarez in Mexico people dying and polive are not were to blame they are the law but they are humans too it sounds to fishy
the job of the police is not to baby sit so one who decides to get drunk and a drunk will jump out of a car they have no sense. and all those people who call the police pigs. when u are in trouble they are the first one u cry for. so it best to stop think and use Ur words carefully give them time to instigate none of us where their and a drunk would eat his own shit.
i totally agree with Empress & Bznlivingabroad….i knew d guy and he wud have not jumped…he no stupid….but d police are to be held accountable….justice may not be served here but every dog wa get judgement at d end!
Tyadia I think the government have a lot to do with it cause if they deal right with the justice system and start hanging people who kill crime will decrease cause no one will want to die…… They are the one who has to fight for this cause sooner or later no one will want to walk in Belize……… This government is worst than P>U>P I hope that next election they come in back cause this people all prime minister is doing is getting his whole family involve in everything to make them rich before they come out thats all. at least p>U>P share with the people but this one is grabing for there self. If Dean Barrow say things wah haad for this year sooner or later we wah the eat bush…. This government have to go…………
Its been hard for us Belizean poor people. The justice system that we people look up are not looking down on us but instead betraying us. I am not saying that all Police officers are negative n crooks. we have some few out there left that are trying their best to keep us safe from crime. I do consume alchohol but to my limit.
My reason for such behaviour of the police is that they employe young and un educateded police officers. Many of the officers are young and they are just like me and you who either lover drinking and some that dont. I believe that police officers should be monitered at all time when they are on duty and off duty like students going to school.
That is just my suggestion. I dont want to write a story. Enjoy Hope Belize one day become crime free.
For all of you who commented horribly about the young man should be ashamed. You all will only know when something like that hits home. I am sure you all would not like if a police officer would give a damn about your loved ones. A persons life is noting to play with. I know it was a bad choice of him to be drinking so heavily but you can’t expect all of us to be or think the same. You all nor myself are in no position to judge. I personally do not know the young man or his family but i am deeply saddened that his young life had to end so tragically especially since it could have been avoided. I just hope police officers would stop being so condescending. In case you all did not know, police officers treat you like s*** when you commit a crime but when its them committing the crime they want everybody to play it off.
Empress, I just don’t see the logic. What has the UDP done with the police department in their term that is so much worse than when the PUP was in place? Now if you said that the UDP has cut out incentives for our police force or decreased their salaries, number of uniforms, resources etc., then I’d say they’re worse in regards to managing the police force.
But I don’t see anything directly related to the government or more specifically, the Minister of National Security that can prove that UDP has done a worse job with the police force in their term. Do they have the opportunity to improve the system that has been troubled years now (including when PUP was in power), yes, but very little. They can make some small moves forward, which will continue with the next administration in power and the next and the next. I don’t see us making a dramatic overhaul in a short period of time.
I just don’t see a strong correlation between party politics and police corruption right now. I just think it’s a really short-sighted notion. Except, well when we consider the leaders in the crack/cocaine trade, which I think and lots of Belizeans think politicans in both parties have neglected to tackle seriously for fear of economic repercussions since those propelling the trade have their hands tied into some legitimate revenue generating industries in Belize.
But reading the news lately there are some things I’ve noticed directly attributed to government that might looks like improvements in managing the police force; for example, considering changing the education entry level from having a primary school certificate to a high school diploma (that might be a big step) … did PUP consider doing that in their last term? No. Did the UDP when they were in power in the 90s? No. But, things change as we grow and develop.
And, I agree with Natalia that people are being insensitive towards the victim here. His being drunk shouldn’t be any excuse for any alleged negligence by the police that might have occurred.
I suggest reading this article published by Godfrey Smith on managing crime and the police force in Belize. It offers a lot of insight into the difficulties in making dramatic improvements with our police force (as suggested by the Crook’s Report which was an study conducted by a Jamaican criminal justice expert on the crime situation in Belize) and also tries to prove that this is not really a party politics issue.
Here is an excerpt. I think you should read the article.
Crimes and Cussedness by Godfrey Smith:
http://www.flashpointbelize.com/flashpointarticles/tabid/103/EntryId/102/Crooks-Crime-Cussedness.aspx
“The Opposition’s response to the crime situation has been the boilerplate, politics-as-usual approach to call for the resignation of the Minister of National Security as if someone from the government or opposition benches could do a better job.”
And,
For what the current government has decided to implement based on recommendations from the report within the next five years, see:
“The Harold Crooks Report ‘still mostly secret'” by Aaron Humes
http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=8088
Excerpt:
“The Minister (Perdomo) reminded the gathering (of journalists) that he was still committed to fighting crime on all fronts, but described the process as “dynamic” and “a constant struggle.”
According to (CEO Brigadier General (ret.) Lloyd) Gillett, some of the recommendations needed further detailing and cooperation with sister agencies and Ministries, but the majority will be implemented within the next five years.
Commissioner Gerald Westby and his two assistants, Crispin Jeffries and Allen Whylie, outlined a nine-point strategy for immediate impact on the criminal situation.”
NATALIA I AGREE WITH YOU 200%. I KNEW MATTIAS, HE WAS A CALM PERSON N BECAUSE OF HIS DISABILTY WOULD NEVER HD JUMPED OUT OF A MOVING VEHICLE, I’M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD GIVE D MAN A TROPHY FOR BEING THAT DRUNK, BUT PEOPLE, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, NONE OF US WERE THERE SO WE CAN JUDGE! BUT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE POLICE ARE A BUNCH OF SCUMBAGS DAT DO TREAT US LIKE SHIT WHEN WE DO WRONG!!!!!!!
Really, K????????????? Dont you think as professionals, they should have known that the prisoner was obviously drunk and as such should have been put in the front of the pickup instead of the pan. Hello!!!!!!!!!!! Prevention is better than cure! But the police acts with no regard to people and their feelings. They think that they are above the law. I do not drink or smoke either and do not believe that put me in any position to judge other people but the police being the sober party and having countless encounters with drunk and disorderly peoople, they should have known better than to put a visibly drunk person in the pan of a moving truck
I do agree with you mani and empress in two aspects.
First the justice system in Belize is going haywire. There is no more respect for the law or the law enforcers becuase “they themselves ” (not to reffer to them all, cause there are still a few who remain dedicated to thier job and respect it for what it stands) have help contribute to the spike in crime and violence on the street. What I really believe should occur is a more controled program with CONSTANT follow ups on the officers that are given licence to carry instruments that can take lives (just like Doctors, especially surgeons).
Secondly, I believe now more than ever that We as a country should go back to the hanging system. I know it sounds like real drastic measures to take, but permit me to ask you all a question. How many of you have been to the now museum where once stood the prison in Belize City. Curiously I’ve been there and the information recorded on persons being hanged and the reasons for them to be condemed to such deaths are very intresting. And yes while that was going on the crimes on the street were there, but ask your grandparents , was it like today, trust me it was much less. Cause just like you said Mani, the people were afraid to die, and we as humans will always be afraid to die.
Life is and will always be PRICELESS, why not instituting measures that will permit us to conserve it for a little more time, than see it being taken away from us in split seconds.
POLICE is always getting away with everything. the officer should be charge with murder and notting else. If you need to shoot someone one why can’t they aim for the legs. AND yes these officers think that they are gods, but one day they will meet their maker.
Hi Mani I agree with you about the poor people.But it is not about education.It is about common scene and the tools the police have to work with,a lot of the young cop need supervision.But it is not going on.In the old days they used to have a Sargent who patrol the city an check on all the police who is on duty . and sign their note book.that mean they must be alert at all time.If that was going on the Bdf would”t have lost his rifle.The whole police force need new faces.It is run bye the party in power.Look at the Doctor who beat the kid,MR.Perdomo had to make the decision for him to be arrest.if it was one of us we would have been jail and already found guilty.The system need to be fix.look at the minister in the rural take away people land with out going to court for the judge to decide.so he is the judge/jury and lawyer.I hope bye now we learn don:t vote for lawyers.
True bzn,you’re an idiot just like Empress and Belizeanlivingabroad.I don’t care how much you know somebody or how calm they are.When people are drinking,they become total idiots.I also have 2 alcoholic brothers,that are very nice guys when they are sober but becomes 2 different people when they’re drinking.As a matter of fact, i’ve never seen a drunk that behaves the same way when they’re sober.One time we picked up a hitch hiker (drunk) on the northern hwy,we put him in the bed of the truck because that was the only space we had.We had to stop like 3 times on the way and put him to sit down.Each time he kept getting up and sitting on the edge.Well,guess what happened after that? The idiot got up one last time and all we saw was him rolling down the highway.By the grace of God the fool is still alive.Drinking and riding (in the bed of a pickup) is just as deadly as drinking and driving and like i said before…we make a path to our own destiny. This guy was not an inmate…they were probably just taking him to the station to sleep it off…he just decided to take a permanent rest.