Four persons shot during robbery at Accents Store
It was a chaotic scene at North Front Street this morning when two robbers jacked Accents Store which also serves as a collection agent for Belize Electricity Limited. When the shots rang out, passers-by scurried for cover and our news team who was on assignment on another story, was at the right place at the right time when the barrage of shots went off in the busy downtown area near the Swing Bridge. News Five captured on camera the terrifying ordeal at around ten thirty this morning. We warn that there are some explicit images of one of the youths, a minor, lying in a pool of his own blood with a severely injured leg after he was shot in a cross-fire with police. Three others were injured. News Five’s Marion Ali has a detailed report.
Marion Ali Reporting,
These were the raw sights and sounds our camera picked up from the vantage point of North Front Street approaching the Belize City Swing Bridge facing the junction with Hyde’s Lane at around ten thirty this morning. The blood seen on the steps in front of Accents Store is from one of the robbers who police say accidentally shot himself as he pulled out his weapon to commit the crime. He ran off leaving behind a trace of blood and remains at large. The other, a seventeen year old minor who allegedly stole over a thousand dollars from Accents Store and a customer inside the store. The customer, who was armed with a licensed handgun, exited the store and opened fire at the fleeing thief. One of the bullets hit him in one of his legs just as he was about to ride off and he was seen dropping his bicycle and running with the injured leg towards Hyde’s Lane. But patrolling police officers who were right around the corner on Queen Street and who had gotten a tip of the robbery, promptly responded and fired at the fleeing suspect, injuring the other leg. He collapsed just over the bridge near Bottom Dollar Store.
Our attention was drawn to a first shot and we caught police pursuing the youth who dropped the bike and fled. As we replay the incident, you will notice the alleged robber dropping his beach cruiser in the middle of the street and fleeing over the bridge near Bottom Dollar. A media worker is seen here moving the bike out of the way to allow for the free flow of traffic.
Here is the gun of the apprehended youth allegedly carried. Here he is with two badly injured legs while paramedics prepare to take him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
A red cap, reportedly worn by his accomplice, lay on the ground and after the hail of bullets expended shells were all over the street. When it was over, all that was left were the robbers’ two bicycles and a crowd that stood in awe stunned at the brazen mid-morning hold up.
Good, no one got killed in the last 12 hours in Belize.
Crimes see no color, no time, and no boundary, waste of youths in Belize.
The kid look like someone I know from the island of San Pedro, wonder what Minister Heredia thinks of this crime….
Atimes there are no ‘innocent until proven guilty’ hogwash to adhere to – when the police should shoot to kill they don’t. Why should tax-paying law-abiding citizens have to fund these crooks and criminals behind bars? And the sad part is, some slick lawyer will probably get them free on some technicality like ‘the police did not shout to Stop In The Name Of The Law”.
Job well done, we need to eradicate these people like pests. bring in the death penalty and sign me up to pull the rope, press the button or preferably any inhumane procedure available.
Stuff like this… ALL this stuff happening back home in Belize… Makes me not want to go back home ever again. You work hard for your little bit that you take back, only to have someone take it from you.
first of all i really appreciate the excellent work you channel 5 do. it’s impressive to seeyou guys capture images that really show the real life situation that the city faces on a daily bases and for the thieves i wish you were killed so we can have less criminals roaming our city and having our nation on our knees. for the police it was a well done job but it still doesn’t convince the nation and the trust needs to grow more as long as you do a better job. any comments?
The last few weeks, people have been asking me about Belize, and I have repeatedly told them,
“Its a great place to visit, but if you go, stick to the cayes. Stay away from the cities, or go with a tour guide”.
Things like this hurt our economy because people read the news and see this huge amount of violent crime, and decide not to come.
I believe that now Belizeans should be well aware that nowhere is safe in Belize not even the “North Side” as the media has hype up to be. The fact that crime affects us all whether it be north or south. Belize’s reputation has been tarnished and we should never be complacent and think it can’t happen to us. The fact remains that a lot of us need to go to work on the south side of Belize.
jus ah-nadah day in dah city…feels normal
I agree with L.C. – people always complaining that those Belizeans who go away to college in the U.S. or any other foreign country don’t come back to help develop the country but who would want to come back to Belize with all the crime, violence and corruption.
Belize is starting to remind of another country i know hmmmm can you say JAMAICA
I am proud of the civilian who was brave enought to take this “coward” on!!!!!!! He deserves an award……we need more like him to be “invisible” vigilantes:-)
Congrats to you Sir – whoever you are!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love my country and have always been proud to say I’m a belizean. Iwas ask by a foriengner where I came from, when I said Belize the reply was isn’t that adangerous place now. SHAME,SHAME,SHAME. We are more on the airwaves about crime than about how to bring in business to our country so that we can have a better way of living. What is the GOVERNMENT doing about this sad state our beautiful little jewel is going through. If this continues we will end up in civil war like our neighbors south of us, take in consideration we are black and they wont give us asylum as easily as we give anyone who comes to our country…….. The youngsters need to wake up. However the country cant clean up the crimes unless they crack down on all the drugs coming so easily in our country, that is where the problem begins.
Like door bells ringing… DEATH PENALTY??? Anyone? Anyone?
Imagine…. a 17 yr old committed this crime. Why is it that the law protects these “so called minors” when they are brave enough to commit such crimes in broad daylight. What is this world coming to??
I love that a citizen shot one of the thieves in the leg. Good for the citizen. A shame it wasn’t a head shot or spinal column shot that either killed him outright, or put him in a bed for the rest of his life.
We need to bring back public caning, and wail on this p.. in Kings Park, maybe 120 lashes.
we need guns for every household!!! Citizens should have the right to own a gun to protect ourselves!!! More guns do not necessarily turn to more murder…study the statistics with countries that allow gun possession….Criminals will think twice before doing a crime…
The citizens in the street can also act as POLICE when they see a criminal fleeing, they could fire if they had a licensed gun!! what best to have the majority of Belizeans to be Police!!!
Now he has something to think on while learning to walk again.
another blood bath ..another day in the city. expect things to keep getting worse
This youth have a job. Shame that he have to do what he did. Also, they are well dressed like one of us, so anybody could a criminal. Like what someone say the law will protect them. So the theives are roaming the while we are in our home locked up like we are in jail. And now our tax will be raised to protect these criminals…………
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT is what we need! You rape/molest… you get Castrated,. If you steal… your hands get cut off. You murder.. you get killed in the same fashion. I bet many criminals would think twice before they commit a crime…. I’m telling you, these HUMAN RIGHTS law protect those scumbags. i believe, the moment you commit a crime, you give up all rights you have for committing such acts esp an inhumane one. C’mon something needs to be done. lotta talk is taking place.
Well shallow we vomit and call in Englang fo help with some GURKYAS because we shure cannot do it ourselves or we don’t want to!!!!
Well you know what i think…Like tupac said, “live by the gun, die by the gun” I believe that we should literally shoot those #$!@$# like they do in places like afganistan and other countries, where criminals are shot dead in front of the public….KILL THEM ALL>>>>>NO CRIMINAL WITH A GUN NEEDS A CHANCE>>>>>LET THEM DIE LIKE THOSE MAINGY DOGS>>>>ERADICATE THEM>>>>POWER TO ALL>>>>
I am proud of being Belizean… They should make this a holiday and call it the National Good Samaritan day…. makes you feel all cozy inside when a law abiding citizen turns the tables on his assailants.
It is a big shame and pity that our dumb restrictive gun laws have not deterred crime but have in fact given the criminals a MONOPOLY ON GUNS…
Get the GURKYAS shallow we pride let get rid of the deadheads get the ENGLISH SOLDIERS back….because sure as HELL on earth we cannot do it…
what! Western is coming back? Watch how they young fellas the play cow boy out here.Belize mien what have we become to. Not even the kids are innocent now.We are afraid to trust them now every move we make we have to have eyes all about.Its a trickle down effect the GOVERNMENT IS ALL BEHIND THIS.Sorry to say mein look at poor Belize,where can we run,where can we hide?Government stop and give the poor people jobs and stop full unu pocket.Be careful maybe one of you in the chambers might be next.
ok people it’s friday let’s hope that we dont hear the usual although it is entertaining to see the criminals get shot or die. Take my advice people if anybody does anything to you or your family make sure you get a good look at them AND TAKE MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS. REVENGE IS DISH BETTER SERVED COLD.
Belize needs 2 turn back 2 da Lord Our God!!! These guys should’ve been examples for da future! Some of these kids are neglected by Bzn out here in da U.S.A., with no programs in Bz to help/ assist ’em, what-so-ever!!! Mr. P.M., pls stop those reggae, hip hop & dancehall music to come into or play on da airwaves, this is part of da solutions to help da crime situation, thk u sir!
DEATH PENALTY IS NOT THE ANSWER WHAT WE NEED IS BETTER POLITIC BECAUSE THE POLITICIAN WE HAVE ALL THEY WANT IS TO MAKE MONEY AND SCREW THE PEOPLE OVER THEY DON’T THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF BELIZE THEY JUST WANT TO GET RICH LOOK AT MUSA THE MONEY THAT ARGENTINA GIVE HE STOLE IT AND KNOW ONE KNOWS WHERE THAT MONEY IS WE NEED FRESH PEOPLE TO RUN THE COUNTRY .
Why should the Police shout at these guys when they had already comitted a crime?If you’ve comitted a crime then you need to get burn.
I am not condoning any criminal action,however this is going to continue as long as Barrow is cutting the budget for National Security and boasting about being 3.5 million ritcher.
i agree wit (rizzo) the government should start hanging these crinals why should we be feeding them in prison what u say belze
if more citizens shot criminals, what a nicer belize we would have, no matter if them 15 or 50, criminals in belize are multiplying like roaches……there should be NO mercy for them
I could care less if the perps had been killed as a result of their criminal act, but I DO care that a civilian and cops chased after these guys, guns blazing on a busy city street in front of a primary school. It was a miracle no innocent people were killed! Lethal force should only be used to protect life, not to avenge a crime. The civilian who gave chase and opened fire is NOT a hero, he is a menace! His irresponsible use of a firearm could have easily resulted in the death of a child. He should be charged for discharging his firearm in public and reckless endangerment. Then he should have his gun license revoked.
We are all frustrated by the out of control crime situation. But collateral damage is not an acceptable price to pay to get bad guys off the street.
Belize needs a new Police press officer. Currently he only reports the race of a criminal when it’s a Black person. I know it sounds minor but it’s a major part of public perception, and leads to the mindset we’ve seen from our Tourism minister recently. Note recent newscasts with Fitzroy Yearwood relaying info:
Mar 9: Describing a shooting incident where four people got shot: “…a male person of dark complexion rode up on a bicycle and fired several shots.”
Mar 11: Describing an attempted robbery at Atlantic Bank: “…a dark complexion male person armed with a firearm pointed a weapon …”
Now the the latest high profile incident at Accents Store involved an alleged robber who was obviously not a Black or “dark complexion” person. Note the absence of race or complexion anywhere in the description.
Even worse, although Channel 5 says the thief, “allegedly stole over a thousand dollars.” In Fitzroy Yearwood’s account, the Police recovered, “…an undisclosed amount of cash.” Yeah, so when it disappears there’s no solid record of how much was recovered. Food for thought.
in jail this people costs a lot to the taxpayers…..rope and soap, much cheaper…
see what I tell you about mi black bredda them, what you expect, black boys are really bad now, i will continue with my nursey rhymes, HANG DEM A…t; you realize how many children could have been hurt, cause of this stupid young black boys HMMM, think about it, you hear any meztizos or mayas or chiney or hindu di go around shooting like them crazy, common guys, fi we black lee breddas need one good lesson.
YOU R AN IDIOT MASCAL RIVERA…….TAKE ANOTHER LOOK……THE CRIMINALS R NOT BLACK…..THEY LOOK MORE LIKE U!!!!!!