Mother and son complain of police harassment

Throughout the years we’ve reported countless allegations of police abuse. But tonight a Belize City youth is saying that he is being harassed by those who’ve sworn to protect him. The latest incident, says Richard White and his mother Evadney Scott, occurred this morning as White was returning home after purchasing groceries. White says he noticed a police mobile patrol following him and when he reached his residence on Raccoon Street Extension he and the family dog were threatened. The duo says they are sick and tired of the back and forth with the police.

Evadney Scott, Alleges Police Harassment
“Di police seh bwai, weh you name, so he give ah di name and di police seh bwai yoh no yer weh ah seh, give mi yoh name. Ah tell ah ih done give yoh ih name already so ih di ker in di things dehn weh I sen ah fah. S ih seh well yoh want ah arrest or something? I seh weh yoh wah arrest ah fah ih noh di do nothing, what yoh di arrest ah fah. Ih seh you noh know weh I could arrest ah fah and I si ih jump down off ah di sidewalk inna mi yard and I tell ah yoh inna mi yard and I tell ah weh yoh search warrant deh. He noh need dat. I tell ah yoh need wah warrant fi enter my yard and I gone in and I shet my gate and when I shet my gate ih wrench di gate and hole wah gun pan my dog. I tell ah you noh have no right inna my yard and I gone and I stand up back ah my door and di next police weh deh deh haul di door. I tell ah unnu noh have no right, unnu noh have no summons. I know mi rights, please weh unnu summons deh. Come I wah shoot dis dog. I tell ah yoh can’t shoot di dog because ih deh inna mi yard and ih chain and ih di sit down. What yoh wah shoot di dog fah, fi nothing. I seh dis noh right.”

Richard White, Alleges Police Harassment
“This is the fifth to the fourth time I’m being harassed by the policeman. I come from jail from 2005 nearly and from since I’ve been from jail, I try to do my own business and everything and every time the policeman—the last time I was going to open my business at the market, the policeman pick me up, juck wah knife dah mi throat and ask if I want mek ih kill me. Right so ih tell me. Next minute ih pick me up, ker mi da station, beat mi up. When I gone si Mr. Rivero da station, dehn tell mi Mr. Rivero noh deh deh. Every time I go fi mek wah report, dehn tell Mr. Rivero noh deh deh, dis one noh deh deh. Dehn turn me round, turn me round. Di last dehn lock me down, dehn seh I got gun da mi house and dehn lock me down fi overnight. Dehn release mi di next morning cause dhen seh I noh got nothing. Every time dehn do dis.”

Scott says that the police also took her son’s bicycle. In 2005, White was found not guilty of the murder of Mark Tingling.