Did cops cause a pregnant woman to suffer a miscarriage?
patrick thomas
There have been widespread allegations of police brutality that some people believe the abuse is now institutionalized. The most recent case is so shocking that it pales in comparison to other reports. The victim is a pregnant woman whose common-law-husband alleges that Judith Bood miscarried his child after she was accosted by three police officers. It all unfolded shortly after seven on Monday night when Patrick Thomas and Bood were in their yard on West Collet Canal where police were searching for a set of stolen computers. According to Thomas, the officers who showed up to carry out the investigation became incessantly abusive to his pregnant girlfriend and caused her to lose their child. And if that weren’t bad enough, Thomas alleges that the rogue cops even slapped their eleven year old daughter before leaving.
Patrick Thomas, Witnessed Alleged Police Brutality
“It was like after seven we were outside, we see the Hilux pull up. We neva had to come to the back. We come to see weh they want. They neva show we no warrant or nothing. They seh they di look fi computer. They check the whole palce in and out and they neva find nothing. The two ah deh mi done gwein already, but one ah deh seh deh want sher go and she neva want go and that dah when everything happen.”
Marion Ali
“Weh happen?”
Patrick Thomas
“Deh kick open the door, they gone in there.”
Marion Ali
“Why was the door locked if you were outside?”
Patrick Thomas
“She gone in there when they tell ahn they wah ker ahn. She neva wahn go.”
Marion Ali
“Oh she locked herself in?”
Patrick Thomas
“Yeah cah they done check the whole place already and they noh find nothing. Last time police come yah, they mi wah ih go dah the station. Ih gone dah the station and ih end up dah the station fi two days and ih neva deh pan that again last night. So ih lock ihself in and stay ina ih room. Then they kick open the door and she never want come out and that was a big fight inside. Ih eena the hospital right now. Deh mi had to rush ahn from the police station to the hospital because ih mi suppose to be pregnant and ih di bleed wah lot right now.”
Marion Ali
“Did she miscarry the child?”
Patrick Thomas
“Yes.”
Marion Ali
“Are you thinking of suing the police department?”
Patrick Thomas
“If dat dah weh we have to do, that da weh we wah do.”
Marion Ali
“Do you have the name of these officers?”
Patrick Thomas
“I noh have it but my girl have all ah dehn name.”
Marion Ali
“This happened in your presence?”
Patrick Thomas
“Yes.”
Marion Ali
“And in the presence of the children?”
Patrick Thomas
“Yes. And fi she mother also.”
Marion Ali
“You said something else happened too with one of the children?”
Patrick Thomas
“Yeah well the pikney they mi di try gone in there fi help she and the police boxed one ah deh and ih push down one ah deh.”
Marion Ali
“How old is the child?”
Patrick Thomas
“Shanima eleven.
I noh like how dehn come and deal with the issue. One spell, they mi like wah get pan me too. So I mi had to like hold it down and walk weh cah deh two ah we mi wah end up deh and then who mi wah tek care ah the kids they. So I just walk away. I dah just want sue dem cah you know how long I mi di try get wah baby fish from she and fi mek she miscarriage just like that? They actually punch ah eena ih belly. Handcuffed her hands and foot, throw her ina di hilux and when they reach there, still beat her up ina the station.”
Marion Ali
“She told you this or you saw it?”
Patrick Thomas
“I see it, I see it! Cause I gone ina my vehicle and she gone ina the hilux and when they reach deh, deh still di rough up ah—foot handcuff and can’t walk.”
Marion Ali
“Was she ever resisting arrest?”
Patrick Thomas
“No.”
Marion Ali
“The only time was when she locked herself…”
Patrick Thomas
“When she locked herself in and when she locked herself in dah when they get crazy and do everything else. But she neva wahn go cause last time the same thing deh do ahn and she mi deh deh two days.”
Marion Ali
“Now the computers that she or you or both of you are accused of stealing?”
Patrick Thomas
“We noh know nothing bout it ma’am. I got this one here bout six months weh I get from my sister-in-law. One ah deh seh see it deh, they seh no dah noh that, dah wahn dell flat screen deh di look for. And they do nothing with the computer, so why they neva just ker the computer and lef she?”
Marion Ali
“It’s one computer that was stolen?”
Patrick Thomas
“Seven computers from youth for the future gone. They deh all ina the manhole na di whole yaad and everything, but they noh find nothing. Then dah only fi we house they come; deh noh gone dah no next house—straight dah we they come.”
Marion Ali
“Why did they have reason to come here?”
Patrick Thomas
“I don’t know.”
Belize needs an Internal Affairs unit that is independent of the police. It can conduct fair, thorough, and impartial investigations of allegations of police misconduct. Why should we fear those we PAY to protect us almost as much as we fear the criminals?
AND……………..What does the POLICE have to say?????????
Although I believe the cops in Belize are mostly incompetent, I cannot stray away from the fact that people in Belize tend to make matters worse when they refuse to co-operate with the police. This seems like a clear case of incompetent cops illegally searching a house suspected of harboring stolen goods, and an upset pregnant woman cursing out the police in self-defense. The police have a history of brutality, murder, and disrespect I would imagine that a pregnant woman would take the responsibility of making sure her baby was not in danger by co-operating with the police at any cost. The cops that were abusive to those children should be fired, the kids were no doubt frightened by cops busting down their doors, and indulging in a fist fight with their mother.
The police still continue to work under the same disorganized group, and law and rules regardless of how many times they were attacked by the media in the past, or the people. This shows very little regards or respect from the police towards the “rights” of the citizens.
What can possibly come out of the case?
Just another public lashing till something else sensational comes along and this piece of news slips off the radar.
Where there is smoke there is fire, who in their right mind will choose to lock themselves in a room to escape the police. This was not the first time these people have hit the police radar, if they don’t have the computers but know where they are & chose to let a pregnant woman play tough with the police, maybe that was a child that we did not need on the streets of Belize.
Speaking of children, why was Shamina, an 11year old ready to fight with the policemen if it were not for the contempt with which her mother treated them?
Hmmm that’s very wrong on the part of the police if that’s how it played out. The police department should’ve been contacted. The pictures r showing she’s bruised, did u guys check the hospital to confirm a miscarriage. Why would the police only go to vthese people home n want to detain the woman without reason. That doesn’t make any sense. It sounds like she has had run ins with the law before n if that’s the case she shouldn’t have locked herself in the house because some police officers have no PR skills n she may have appeared to b hiding something. This needs to b investigated n followed up by the news department. I am sorry abt the baby, poor thing was innocent to all that!
There are usually three sides to a story like this. However, that still does not give the Police the right to be physically abusive to a pregnant mother and her 11yr old child. To say that they lack PR skills is to be putting their tyrannical behavior in mild terms.
Recently an 8yr old baby was executed as she slept, where everyone would have thought to be a safe place. I don’t even live in Belize at the moment but from the info circulating in the media, I have a good idea who is responsible. However, I am yet to hear about even an arrest let alone the brutalizing of the suspected murderer. Now we hear about an expectant mother allegedly losing her baby at the hands of Police brutality, over some computers that they did not even find. Shamefull indeed!!
Something is radically wrong with our law enforcement agencies and I have reasons to believe that it is from top to bottom, hence we can say that it is institutionalized.
Is it any wonder that the conviction rate is an awefull 7%??
No warrant?slapping a 11 year old girl?cause this lady to loose her child?thats murder.worst part is that belizeans think they live in a free country,in a free country belizeans brother,a police cannot enter your home with out a warrant,if he does,you can SUE the police,he gets fired from his job,or end in jail,not mentioning a police slapping a young girl.causing a pregnant woman to loose her child.
It appears that everything that the Police does is wrong, there is two side to a story, those fellows are known thieves in the area of Conch Shell Bay and because the Police went to their house they are now trying to blame the Police for this which is not true, kindly inform those thieves that MISCHIEVOUS ACT is still an Offense, sorry for the unborn child but those thieves are all responsible for their misfortune
What another disgrace by the police department once again when will police officer in Belize learn and most of all when will the head of the department do something to stop them. Police in Belize are really getting out of hand they do what they want and get away with it. over this past weekend my brother was arrested in San Ignacio town for diordely conduct, i called for him to make sure he was doing well just to find out that he was beaten by a police in that town i spoke to one Pc Hernandez who inform me that it was Pc Teul who is responsible more over when i called back i spoke to the Oc incharge Barrow who defended that officer. At the same not not all cops are babd but those in the department takeing advantage and abuseing their power needs to be dealt with .
MADDYVANDIJK/DEREALIST
Although I believe the cops in Belize are mostly incompetent……….. YOUR IDIOTIC STATEMENT SAYS THAT YOU ARE DUMB.
INCOMPETENCE AND POLICE ABUSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
and…….. The BELIZE POLICE DO A GOOD JOB………… A LOT MORE THAN THEY DON’T.
YOUR CONDESCENSION FOR BELIZE and ITS PEOPLE IS….. OFFENSIVE.
To BZNinCALI , i do agree with some of what you are saying. However, a child always wants to protect their Mom/Dad..Whomever he/she share a special bond with. It is natural instincts, similiar to the Parental instincts we as parents have in protecting our children.. @ Jesse, Unfortunately, a Police officer can enter your premises without a warrant if they have received a tip or have reasons to believe that drugs and ammo is at the house being searched. I am unsure if the same applies with the situaton this family has found themselves in. Nonetheless, the way the Police handle this situation was wrong. I do hope Internal Affairs look into the matter.
We really need and INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIVE BODY that includes civilians.
INTERNAL AFFAIRS can’t be trusted.
BZNinCALI says:
“maybe that was a child that we did not need on the streets of Belize.” That was a low blow BZNinCALI. The lowest!
In response to Concerned & September:
Concerned, as a parent it is my job to set the tone in my home. As intelligent human beings, we have to reason & use language to our advantage. This child should not have been slapped, she should have been restrained but I am aware of a situation where a 12 year old went after the officers with a knife trying to protect his father who was drunk, belligerent & the one who started the fight the police were called to break up. It was only by the grace of God this child was not shot. We cannot raise our children to be fowl mouth, violent adults with no respect for authority, it is killing us.
September; we cannot continue to breed if we are unwilling or unable to control ourselves & set a good example for our children. What pregnant woman of sound mind fights with the Police or anyone for that matter? If she is not of sound mind, she should not be procreating. Where do you think these psycho kids who scare the hell out of everyone else come from?
“Troll Grey, the monkey man” maybe you should learn not only how to read, but mostly how to comprehend what you read, you illiterate crazy little monkey.
Your consistency of typing three and a half sentences in caps Lock displays a frustrated negro having or demonstrating very little or no education at all.
Now shut up, you hateful, jealous little monkey man.
I can’t help but agree with u bzeincali. It may seem harsh but its the truth. The criminals r making kids, setting absolutely no example n then they in turn become the criminals if the next generation. They see the parents doing wrong n acting like its ok so they do the same.
I may get negative feedback abt this, but bloggers u have all been saying it starts in the home, with the parents setting examples.
Everything has it’s reason for happening. Maybe bzeincali worded it wrongly but I stand behind him/her with what he/she was trying to bring across.
Again, regardless of that, may the child rest in peace n I again push for an investigation into the incident.
Edith, thanks, I could have been more polite but why? Sometimes we have to say things so that people can understand. When I read the boyfriend’s comments I wanted to knock both of their heads together he “want wah baby fish fah she”. What are they breeding & raising? Piranhas?
Lol I did read that, n he also said “the last time they locked her up” like it happens often. The daughter shouldn’t have put herself with the police, if anybody should have, it shoulda been Sr Fish (Lol). We r responsible for our kids. The other day over here (NY) they were debating if parents should b held responsible for crimes committed by their children, I never followed the outcome, but Belize needs to adopt that mentality.
By the way, did anyone notice that the two women arrested in separate incidents that made the news that day share the same last name. We all have screw ups in our families but I hope these women are not sisters because it is scary to think of what the next generation will be like.
I’m sure you know the word the white boys in NY use for Mr. fish, he will continue to hide behind women & we will have another generation of children growing up with a man in name only. You know if she is aggressive with the police, she took his gonads to the station with her & that would explain why he followed them there.
A lot of states including California have been prosecuting parents for certain crimes committed by their children & at one time California was also billing parents for housing children in the Juvenile System. By holding parents responsible for simple things like making sure their children are in school, it made a difference in our area, the Police get more what they may perceive as nuisance calls from parents but cracking the whip have gotten many parents off their behinds.