Man imprisoned for pulling gun on suspected thief
emerson guild
You’ve seen Emerson Guild on this station numerous times, speaking as the local coordinator of the Venezuelan Mission Miracle initiative. But tonight, fifty-seven year old Guild is behind bars on charges of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. Guild was arraigned in the courtroom of Magistrate Dorothy Flowers and he pleaded not guilty to the charge. Since it is a firearm offense, however, he was remanded to prison until his next court appearance on June twenty-ninth. The alleged victim is thirty-four year old Charles Olivera, who claims that on May twelfth Guild, his former employer, went to his home at around six a.m. Olivera says Guild accused him of stealing a DVD player and when he denied the charge, he was punched in the eye. According to Olivera, Guild then brandished a nine millimeter pistol, threatened to shoot him if he didn’t return the DVD player and then left. In court today, Guild tried to explain to Magistrate Flowers that Oliver had fabricated the story and that he never had a gun in his possession. But Magistrate Flowers stopped him, saying that she was simply there to read him the charge.
Emerson, have you been watching the news? These boys killed a man the other day because he dared to ask for his car battery that they stole. There is no DVD worth your life or six weeks in jail if you beat the charge which you probably will, at least the gun charge. Good luck to you & did you get your DVD player back or had it already found a new home?
If that’s all it takes to get someone behind bars, a simple accusation, then let’s all claim ALL politicians pulled guns on us!! I’d like to see what the police and courts would do then!!!!
when the case goes to court my money is on Guild. just saying.
This idiot deserves to be in jail.What the F is a DVD?
It is funny how with the current laws and the Police department’s lazyness someone can actually fabricate a gun story and youll get charged and sent to jail…
Not saying that this is the case here, but think about it. It could happen.
BTW if he did pull a gun on the other guy at this house he needs to get his @$$ jailed… Once the thief has left and there is no risk of serious injury to you or your house CALL THE POLICE.
This is an aspect of the “gun” law that is abjectly ridiculous! The way it looks is that anyone can manufacture a story about a gun and you the accused stand no chance but to be imprisoned, even if innocent! That is compounded by the fact that we have police that are incompetent and an investigation that is thorough is beyond their pay scale! There has to be a difference in the way police are employed as it is no longer brawn but education is needed. The police needs to be a tad more sophisticated. The genesis of change would be to advertise for police in a better way. Market the importance of higher education in the service and ensure that pay grades are elevated to attract better candidates.
Im trying to understand this new law? If someone steals from you? You cant do anything about it only report the matter to police? This might be too late! Why cant i pull my license firer arm at the theif? We work so hard for our stuff to have people come in and steal them and now in court the law protects the theif this isnt right at all. From what ive read now the magistrate doesnt even want to hear the next side of the storey. Remember there always 3 sides to a story, your side, my side and the TRUTH.
Concerned….. you are totally right….. probably we should seriously accuse the minister of police for pulling a gun on us and threatening us…… and wait to see if what is good for the geese is good for the gander…..
LET EVERYBODY KNOW HOW TO GET EVEN WITH SOMEONE……… AND MAKE THEM DO SOME TIME BEHIND BARS…… JUST ACCUSE THEM OF THREAT WITH A FIREARM..!!!!
let them feel what we the common people feel with their stupid “crime reducing” laws…. its ALWAYS good to spray herbicide to the grass on the other side of the fence…. once you have crossed the fence!!!!!
Goes to show how out right stupid the new gun law is. If Saint Peter was found with a single round of ammunition that someone planted on him, he is going to jail for 2 weeks. That is incompetence to the extreme of our legislators. How easy would it have been to put a clause in the law that denies bail to a person with a previous conviction. Wise up GOB, this is insane.
Remove Shyne……Supa G for musical ambassador!!!!
Dammmm, all it took was for an alleged “victim” to make a report at the police station claiming he was beaten & this man is being thrown in jail. Did the police have sufficient evidence to remand Mr. Guild in jail??? Was there any witness to this “assault” upon Mr. Olivera who can back up what he’s claiming??? Its a very scary & !*&^%$ up situation citizens of Belize are living in, THE LAWS OF BELIZE REALLY REALLY REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY & REVISED..
BTW, Mr. Guild, If you sue the GOB for your imprisonment, and challenge this stupid gun law, make it public, I will contribute to the cause. I am disgusted by this blatant attack on the freedom of the citizenes, does our constitution not guarantee that we are innocent until proven guilty?
These are dangerous times in Belize.Murder rate is high that is true,but that is not a reason for Belizeans to give up their Constitutional rights.Yet many Belizeans would like to have a trial without a jury of their peer.Dentention prevention will only apply to poor Belizeans.None of these actions will resolve crime in Belize.You think we are oppressed now,you haven’t see oppression yet.
Dear All,
Emerson have always been a Critic of the Policies of injustice and hypocrisy done to Black People by any Government and any phony organization. I believe that the Government is behind his imprisonment. Our brother is being persecuted , and humiliated, could it be that there is an ulterior motive behind this?
Rise up freedomfighters you may be next.
Why make a big deal over this incident?Mr Olivera won’t appear in court anyway.Someone already intimidate him,Case close.
While this case highlights the flaws in the gun law because Emerson is not a “known” criminal, what we are closing our eyes to is that he did break the law if he went to this man’s house & threatened him with a gun. Having someone break in or take your”stuff” may bring on a murderous rage but we cannot act on it. The Police may be incompetent but whether or not Olivera is a thief who was beaten up by a man old enough to be his father, Emerson lost the high ground when he took the law into his hands. Nowhere in this story was there a denial that he went to the man’s house or punched him, just his reason for doing so. If he had shot the man in his home or place of business & said he had broken in or entered without permission, he would be free today.
That said; Emerson, you know you need your insulin shots & specially prepared food before you end up in a diabetic coma or have a stroke or something. Dickie, can you call Miss Vidal & ask for some of that same treatment Raindrops got? I don’t think Emerson has left dead bodies across the city in his wake, can’t say the same for the “poor diabetic” now walking free.
Let it be known that if I MEET any thief in my house and I have a gun he will not be able to bear witness or give testimony to send me to prison for that firearm, if they can find him after the fact…dead men tell no tales! I work too hard for what I got and I won’t entertain any lazy @@@ !1!@#$% who think what I sweat for is for them to take at will.
This the time for you all to open your eyes and look seriously at those that are getting ready to run for political office. Right now the country is looking like a fail state. obviously the folks in political office are not up to the challanges. The gun law is so crazy it defy good common sense.
Emerson Guild is not above the law. He could have gone to the police and make a report like good, upstanding, law-abiding citizens are supposed to do. Besides, he is an “advocator” but yet he wants to kill a man over a fricking dvd player. How petty could you get after you’ve shafted and swindled so much people yourself. All these wolves in sheep clothing do is make false impression in public and underneath they’re rabid criminals and evil dogs. …………
So what is the other evidence why he is being held? One person said so so he is locked up? Is this how the law works? Now who does this make any sense to?
Magistrate Flowers I am sure common sense could have been used and this upstanding citizen of Belize should not spend time in Belize!
Just wait untill the street laws from Mexico and Guatemala come to Belize. We all know the wait will not be long. There will be not suspect thief to file any report.
I am not saying Emerison is innocent,but I am not ready to lock him up with out a fair trial.I know he is not a known criminal, and I know him since we were kids attending St Mary’s school.This man is not a danger to society,and he should not be in jail.A person is innocent untill proven guilty.Where is the evidence.
Dean Barrow, The System of Jurisprudence, His Draconian Government and Laws must flee.
It’s no longer Tranquil, Where is the Haven, They’ve taken away our Democracy. We are gradually moving towards a police State. Our people need to read “Animal Farm” it all looks good in the beginning but after 3 years it’s getting worse, And the worse is yet to come.”
A quote from Erwin X, new poem.
“Watch how poor people ah suffer outta do’
No money deh inah di ghetto ah flow
While di leaders ah barrow and ah owe
The ways of our politicians are crooked and narrow
Sucking the blood of the poor down to the marrow
It’s pure sufferation, destruction and sarrow
Recession, depression, is hurting us like an arrow
Our leaders are so foolish, blind and shallow”
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. NEXT WAIT FOR SHYNE TO RETURN BACK TO THE JEWEL FROM ISRAEL THEN DO THE SAME THING TO HIM AND WATCH THE RESULT.
PEACE
Its an unfortunate situation what happened but we are all guilty of over reacting some days . When someone steals from you it really hurts regardless of the value of what was stolen.
This is highly disturbing. There is no doubt that this aspect of the law is obviously flawed. To be imprisoned, based fundamentally on an accusation, with no corroborating evidence, is a bit frightening. Let us rethink this law and FREE EMERSON GUILD!
I like “Concerned”s recommendation pertaining to politicians.
@John Boy, many of us are products of the Anglican Diocesan Schools, including Dickie, Dean , Musa, Elrington & a lot of prominent Belizeans. Off the top of my head, I can name at least a dozen people who went to our schools around the time we did who have lost family members to gun violence. We cannot as law abiding citizens become more vicious than the thugs to the point where we are willing to break the law.
None of us imagined that we would allow our society to deteriorate to this point but it has. Maybe this will give us an opportunity to tweak the law to make it more palatable. It is possible that we are all questioning what is happening because we see ourselves in Emerson & there is the assumption that the victim is a thief & possibly a liar. When the GOB intervened on Raindrops behalf, they invited further challenge & criticism. This could have turned out much worse & we have to change that mindset that violence is the answer.
arrested having no gun sums it up
none in his car
none in his home
lucky no one planted one