Man complains about abusive cops during raid
Michael Bruhier
Twenty-one year old Michael Bruhier, a student of ITVET, was awoken out of his slumber in the early hours of this morning by a police raid being conducted on his premises. Bruhier, a resident of Cairo Street in Mesopotamia, claims that the unit which carried out the search was less than professional in doing their job. The young man says he was escorted to the Queen Street Police Station despite not being placed under arrest. He further claims that while at the station he was subjected to a criminal profile even though he does not have a police record. An irate Bruhier stopped by our office this evening where he recounted the early morning ordeal.
Michael Bruhier, Claims Police Abuse
“I was awoken to the fact that police were in my house doing a random routine search as what they said. I guess they brought warrants for the search and stuff like that but I wasn’t really shown it. So now, they did their search in the house and they didn’t find anything. Now at the end of the search, I’m being told that I have to go with them. Now I am not under arrest, but I still have to go with them because he said I have to do a profile update—which in I don’t have a profile there, but I still have to go do an update.”
Isani Cayetano
“They are implying then that you would have a record at the department and they are going to update that information on that particular record?”
Michael Bruhier
“I guess so. I guess it’s just the area that I live in—I don’t know what kinda place it is—but it seems I guess that everybody in that area are criminals now. Due to the fact that we are being put in the back of a B.D.F. truck and while we are sitting in the truck, one of them came up and said that everybody needs to get on their stomach. I don’t know why. Nobody is under arrest in this truck, but we still had to go and we’re being treated like dogs now having to lie on our stomachs in the back of a truck. I think that is very unlawful and that is not called for in such a situation. And he started to have a whole bunch of different kind of—like he was cursing and telling us to get on our stomachs. I don’t know how. If you have to lie on each other, you’re gonna lie on each other and all kinds of stuff like that which wasn’t called for in any sense.”
Isani Cayetano
“Which unit of the police department conducted this raid in your neighborhood?”
Michael Bruhier
“Well unfortunately through all the commotion that I had to experience, I didn’t really get a grasp or knowledge of anything—if it was a special unit or any type thing. You know, I didn’t getting any information like that.”
Michael Bruhier has expressed that he intends to lodge a formal complaint against the officers who unnecessarily manhandled him this morning. The incident comes on the heels of several similar complaints made against officers attached to the Gang Suppression Unit who are accused of using unnecessary force.
I am all for Policemen doing their jobs and being hard on criminals. However, when they cross the line with honest citizens vengeance should be taken on both them and their families. People are innocent until proven guilty and should be treated with respect. Procedure should be followed, warrants and id’s should be shown. Citizens have rights that cannot and should not be sacrificed in the name of “crime fighting’
This is a F$%#ing outrage and and abuse of authority but then again, that’s all the police is good for in Belize……they target innocent law-abiding citizens but don’t have te cojones to go after the real criminals, starting with the organized gangsters in politics and within their own department. Somebody needs to sue these lowlife Motherf$%^ers for the all they’re worth, which amounts to nothing!!!! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!!!!!
You were asked to lay on your stomach for yours & the Officers protection, if you were treated like a dog, you would have been stomped, hit with the baton or shot. At the end of the day, Policemen want to go home to their families like everyone else, they do not know you, cannot & should not take anyone at face value, Do not buy into the belief that you are being mistreated because of where you live, all of us wish things were different but Mesop has had more than its share of violence & if cooperating with officers will make your neighborhood a little safer, take one for the home team.
i must say that this latest incident was not the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU)
these police men are causing a society to dislike them, yes you are not here for any body to loke you and your doing your jobs, but if its apart of ur job to search these houses where innocent people are you are no need to take your ignorant attitude along. This is the main reason why police men are not being respected because they feel like they can treat criminals and civilians the same wish is not right. Before your riding all over the city on those little motor bikes in groups or three or four try and help to shop all these shootings that are occurring. Take your aggressive and ignorant attitude where the real crime is being done and stop trying to make a show.
these police men are causing a society to dislike them, yes you are not here for any body to like you and your doing your jobs, but if its apart of ur job to search these houses where innocent people are you are no need to take your ignorant attitude along. This is the main reason why police men are not being respected because they feel like they can treat criminals and civilians the same which is not right. Before your riding all over the city on those little motor bikes in groups or three or four try and help to shop all these shootings that are occurring. Take your aggressive and ignorant attitude where the real crime is being done and stop trying to make a show.
Another vague story. What really happen here? Everyone lie. Police lie, the people lie, everybody.
Mistakes are made. Obviously the young man no injured. I can’t say I would enjoy being roused in the night, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The police don’t just pick a house at random. Something going on to make them target one house in particular. If this kid do nothing and have no charge on him, then he a free man! Why cry over alleged abuse. I see no abuse. Police got to be tough and can take no chances when transporting suspects. People cry when the police no show up and they cry when they make a mistake. How the police gon be everywhere all the time and neva make no mistakes. All you got to do is talk to the police and cooperate. Maybe this guy run his mouth too much when they show up. All that back talk do nothing for you. On the street it get you killed. With the police it get you looked at even harder. People got to be humble especially when they know they are right and got nothing to hide. Life goes on?
THE POLICE REALLY NEED TO PRACTICE…….. C.P.R.
COURTESY, PROFESSIONALISM AND RESPECT.
ANYTHING ELSE IS AN ABUSE OF POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our cops can surely use a little professional and sensitivity training!!!!!! Remember this is not the fault of the guys doing the raid but the fault of the officers incharge they are the ones responsible for the culture of the force.
All over the world the authorities do the same things. This type of behavior is practice in the U.S. all the time. They know where the real criminals are, but they can’t touch them. Drugs and weapons come into your country, who is responsible for that? not the regular citizens, they don’t own any boats or airplanes, to transport these type of things. The rich get away, and the poor people suffers for the corrupted behavior of the real gangsters. Look up, stop look down police officers. But, that won’t happen because they are a part of the problem, “UP” is where the corruption is, and they all know it.
BZNinCALI is a real IDIOT!!!! i want u to be in the same situation and c if u would be talkin $#!% like dat……in Belize all people do is TALK $#!% just because they have a mouth and dont know what else to do with it…i want u to get ure face kicked in to see if u will still be taking bout taking one for the team CLOWN!!!!!
Thanks rasta. I have gone door to door in my community to talk to my neighbors & to express my concerns & get their input when I saw things going in a direction that was detrimental to all of us.. I have shown up at City Council Meetings, Planning Commission Meetings & Political Rallies. I organized & walked the picket line with my neighbors to get a pedophile & convicted sex offender out & i actually went to the Sheriff’s station & the courthouse to read the records so that I could counter the “Poor me, they are picking on a brother & his chosen profession” story I knew I would get. That brother was a disgrace to the human race..
Stop whining & relishing the role of victim, the Police are not kicking in doors because you are enjoying all that peace & quiet,. Most of you are afraid to go outside because too many of you are too ignorant to resolve even the simplest conflict without bloodshed. Simple phrases like “I am sorry or excuse me when you offend someone have somehow escaped this generation & it is killing you all. Yes, I have taken more than one for the home team & the result is that my neighbors & I can walk our streets any time of day or night, I can & have shown up at business & social functions where no one looked like me but many or most of them knew me. The same common sense & commitment to community & family I grew up with as a child in Belize City has stayed with me & served me well. Stop whining & picking fights, turn off the lap top or desk top, the TV & cell phone, go next door & find out who your neighbors are, it could save your life. Peace…
Not once have the GSU roughed up that grenade loving set on Kraal road that’s protected by our own Minister of works, and vice versa! To be placed faced down in that same vehicle the police transport bleeding and dead people in IS ABUSE!
As for the updating of profile, unless GOB approved the conducting of a general profile on EVERY citizen in Belize, as a law abiding citizen, I will object strongly to being placed in the Police database. I do not have a record and I don’t see why I need my profile in the Police database, so that they can use my photo in random ID parades.
…and then….? This is an incomplete story! So what happened when he reached the station? Was he charged? Was he placed on an ID parade, was he interrogated, got his picture taken? What happened. We are left without the most critical part of the story. If he was interrogated and found to be involved in wrongdoing, then charged, everything is ok. Aside from their crudeness, the Police did just fine. Guess we’ll just never know.