Police express concern at being targeted
Belize’s police officers are increasingly becoming the targets of deadly violence and today in a press briefing, law enforcement officers expressed their concern over the continued attacks. The commanding officer of Eastern Division, Senior Superintendent Allen Whylie, says the latest incident unfolded around ten on Monday night when one of their mobile units came under fire.
Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie, Commanding Officer, Eastern Division
“A police patrol was on the area of West Collet Canal and Neal’s Penn Road where they observed two male persons on individual bicycles behaving suspiciously. The patrol attempted to stop these individuals, who turned around and continued riding. The officer pursued them and whilst pursuing them two shots were fired at him. The individuals continued riding up into Waight Street where another mobile patrol, again under N.C.O. command, came up to him and two more shots again were fired at the police who again responded. That individual was apprehended by another police mobile.”
“And that person was identified as one Wilfred Dickenson twenty-two years, labourer of a Raccoon Street address. He sustained a gunshot wound to the right side to the body and the back. Subsequent search of the area by the police led to the recovery of a one point three-eight chrome revolver containing four expended shells and one live round of ammunition. That person was taken into custody and he is presently under police guard at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.”
While on his release, twenty-two year old Wilfred Dickenson is expected to be charged with attempted murder, police continue to look for a man who threatened them with a gun. According to the Acting Commander of C.I.B., Inspector Clement Cacho, around seven-thirty on Monday night police constable David Griffith was on foot patrol in the vicinity of Pine and Ebony Streets in Belize City when he decided to make a routine check of a vehicle but instead of cooperation, the car’s driver threatened the officer’s life with a gun.
Insp. Clement Cacho, Ag. Commanding Officer, C.I.B., Belize City
“Whereby he approached a black in colour Cadillac car with California license plates, informed the occupant that he would execute a search on the vehicle for drugs. At which point on time the driver, who is of brown complexion, exited the vehicle and pointed a firearm at P.C. Griffith informing him that he loves to kill
police officers, not in those words exactly. The driver then got back in the vehicle and sped off. At this time we are unable to say who is that individual. We are presently looking for the black Cadillac.”
Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie
“We are very concerned in terms of any incident involving police officers, especially gun related. We are out there, we will be doing our job, we will continue to face the criminal elements. We won’t be deterred in what we are doing. We believe in what we are doing, we know we have the law on our side, and we will do all that is required within the law to deal with these situations. People cannot continue to challenge the authority of the police and we are out there and we will not be backing away from these people. I have advised my officers to take the necessary precautions and to ensure that necessary backup is there, that they call in whenever they have incidents that we’re able to respond promptly.”
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Whylie responded to allegations made by residents of Louise Bevans Street that on October fifth it was the police who fired upon unarmed nineteen year old Kyle Murillo. The matter remains under investigation, but the police maintain that it was Murillo who shot at their officers and the cops were forced to respond.
Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie
“I have no reason to doubt the police officers. We know the environment we are policing in, we know there are a lot of people in various areas across this city who are not overly supportive of the police officers. We must be conscious that immediately after this thing occurred the police officers said they knew who their assailant was, they did not pick out somebody at random. They could have selected anybody, but they were specific in terms of who was the assailant. So the public and those persons in that area they will say what they want to say and they are entitled to say, but the matter will be placed in a court of law and then the Magistrates will decided whether or not the police are proper or otherwise.”
Insp. Clement Cacho
“Kyle Murillo has been arrested charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault. This is in regards to the incident that occurred on the fifth of October about ten-thirty p.m. where by P.C. Hyde, P.C. Swazo and P.C. Mariano were on patrol in the Central American Boulevard area when they saw Murillo with a firearm. Murillo subsequently fired shots at them. As a result he was detained and charged and that matter is before the courts.”
Meanwhile, Whylie declined to comment on reports made by family members of Assistant Commissioner of Police Maureen Leslie. Those area residents told News Five that Murillo was not armed with any weapon and that it was the police who fired several shots in their backyard where several people were playing cards. The family says at least five of the bullets penetrated the walls of the house.
