Weekend murder sparks violence in Belize City

Tonight tensions are running high in the old capital as clashes between armed adversaries have resulted in yet another murder, the arrest of at least three young men, and threats of additional violence. This latest incident also has an added sense of drama because as I found out this morning, two of the eyewitnesses are police officers.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Around seven forty five on Saturday morning, twenty-two year old Alpheus Smith, Junior had just changed a tire and was about to get back into the vehicle when he was gunned down by two men on Curassow Street. The shooters were both dressed in black and armed with hand guns. The hail of bullets caught Smith in the neck and upper body. The gunmen then ran towards Antelope Street where a red SUV was waiting for them. But it would not take long for the police to catch those they believe are responsible as two off duty police officers who happened to be in the area at the time realized what had happened and quickly jumped into action.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams, Dep. O.C. Eastern Division
“I came out the morning around seven to do my routine checks and as I departed the Raccoon Street Police Station just before eight and was heading down Curassow Street when my attention was drawn to what sounded to me like gunshots being fired.”

Williams says that when he saw two men fire shots at the Grand Cherokee, he was able to identify the shooters as brothers, twenty year old fisherman, Jody Gentle and seventeen year old Linton Gentle.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“Reaching about a hundred yards away from them I saw them leaving the vehicle in which they were firing the shots and ran down Gibnut Street. I managed to pursue them-I was in my personal, private motor vehicle which I believe is unknown to them-and I followed them, I saw them turn into a yard off Gibnut Street which would lead then to Antelope Street, manage to continue on, turn down Seagull Street and made a left turn into Antelope Street. And coming down Antelope Street towards Curassow I saw both male persons run out of the yard and they entered into a red Chevy Tracker.”

Williams managed to use his vehicle to intercept the SUV. With the help of another officer, P.C Obed Arzu, Williams managed to arrest the two suspects and the vehicle’s driver, later identified as twenty-one year old boat captain Lester Young.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“We were both armed with our firearms and we held them up, forced them out of the vehicle at gunpoint; they were placed to lie down on the street.”

Today, Lester Young, Jody and Linton Gentle were all arraigned for murder in Belize City’s Magistrate Court.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“I ensured that I had the situation under control whereby I could have observed all three persons in the vehicle because the vehicle was not tinted and whatever movements that they were making inside the vehicle I was able to see. I just told my fellow officer not to panic because at the end of the day we do not want to shoot anyone who we do not have to shoot and answer unnecessary queries.”

Alpheus Smith, Sr., Father of Murder Victim
“It was nice that the police was around and they capture the people them but still with all that what I think we need to do is… the government have to try and do something; figure out something to try and talk to the youths to try and get crime of the streets because it’s not working, it’s not working, it happen too often.”

The police are investigating the homicide from all angles including the possibility that the murder was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred six months ago. In that incident the deceased was charged for the attempted murder of James Young Sr., Lester’s father.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“Alpheus Smith was charged for the shooting of Mr. James Young and one of the persons in this incident happens to be Lester Young who is the son of James Young so that could be a possible motive.”

“He was charged for attempted murder and dangerous harm. He was remanded and James Young later withdrew the matter against him.”

The police say there is no evidence at this time to suggest that James Young Sr. is also involved in the Smith’s murder.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“In conducting the investigation you cannot just jump to hasty conclusions. You investigate and as you go along when you get evidence to suggest certain things then you go and try to get answers to the questions. Bringing him at this stage will be fruitless because we won’t get anything from him. If we need that then we have to build a case around him and then later on bring him in when we have the evidence.”

But while investigators search for evidence, family members of the deceased mourn his loss.

Alpheus Smith Sr.
“There isn’t much I can say about it you know. I know for a fact that I have a straight life and I was hoping that he would follow my step but he didn’t. I don’t really know what took place. I heard that he was changing a tire and he was along with some girl in the vehicle and some vehicle passed and they circled and the guys came and shot him up. I don’t know who did it.”

“Well I do not know if he really belong to any gang as such but I know living here in the city it’s pretty rough and I always talk to him and tell him to keep his life straight; there isn’t much that I can say about it you know.”

But because the players involved are believed to be from rival groups, the police are expecting some sort of retaliation. During a press conference called this afternoon, Superintendent of Police Chester Williams assured the public that they have put measures in place to try and prevent anything that may occur.

Sr. Supt Chester Williams
“We plan to meet very shortly with the two groups and see if we could arrive at an amicable solution between both of them. At the end of the day, yes, a life is lost and that cannot be replaced but what the people from George Street need to understand is that, yes, while a life is lost that concerns them the police have the matter under control, we are investigating, we have the persons responsible in custody. Let justice take its course. Do not take the law into your own hands. At the end of the day they will be the ones to face the music and we are not running any joke. As they fire their guns we will be vigorously perusing them to insure that they are brought to justice likewise.”

The police have retrieved the two hand guns they believe were used to kill Alpheus Smith: a nine millimetre pistol and a thirty-eight revolver. Ten expended shells from both weapons have also been recovered.

We are not sure if the operation was part of the police’s preventative measures, but around five this evening officers descended on George Street, ostensibly searching for weapons. But according to the friends of Alpheus Smith, as they gathered this evening to mourn his loss, they felt as if they were under attack from law enforcement officers. By the time the police had completed their mission, a number of young men had been placed in custody, but more seriously, the residents claim that two of the detainees were shot by the cops.

Resident #1
“We sit down inna wi yard di discuss about wi death; how we wah go about di burial.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Of Alpheus Smith Jr.?”

Resident #1
“Yes mam. When we look I noh know must be one hundred policeman pile up come inna vehicle. Man them di come. Den noh ask no questions. Den noh even seh give me the key mek ah open the gate. Look yah, man just brace off and start di shoot up the gate. Wah balley sit down inna the car the fix the car cause he mi di fix wah car, mechanic…shot the man inn ih sacking foot. When den done everybody must get out of the yard; unnu come out of this yard, yuh know. Weh we must come out of the yard for. Just get out of the yard, rub you down, get inna yuh pocket, yuh know, shut up yuh mouth, noh seh nothing, you noh fi seh nothing. Weh we wah do with fi we dead?”

Kimberly Todd, Resident
“We mi deh in here and we only hear the gate di slam so when we look outside we see wah whole bout three thing ah police come and deh just start to just shoot up the gate instead ah deh just wait fi we open it because we mi wah open it because we know that deh mi wah come, yuh know. The side gate mi open, deh could have come through the gate. Deh start to just shoot up and hoot up. My uncle mi inna the car because deh noh even give him break fi mek him come in right or mek him try run and come in. deh just start to shoot after the car, shoot him dah his foot. When we gone call fi unnu dah then deh hurry fi gone and ker him. Den come like some dog because deh neva have to do that because we mi wah open the gate. We tell them wait mek we open the gate but deh still the slam the gate open, the stomp the gate, the shoot up the gate. We noh know weh deh do that for because all we mi di do dah just try talk bout the funeral and mourn bout my cousin weh dead.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Kim, I know at the police press conference this afternoon Mr. Williams was saying that they were concerned that there would be a retaliation and probably this is all part of their measure to prevent anything from occurring.”

Kimberly Todd
“But then we neva even mi di think bout that. We noh even mi di think bout that because anything happen pan George Street deh hurry come. When anything happen anywhere else nobody noh come; deh noh come. When anything happen pan Rocky Road deh noh go round there like how them come round here crazy. Deh go on like dah lone animal live round here. Deh noh go on like dah human being live round yah. Mein deh neva have to go through all of that.”

Resident #2
“So deh ask me mek them search the house. I tell them weh unnu wah mek I search di house for; just now unnu mi di send me outside and my lee gial deh dah back there and unnu di bust up shot. Unnu do got no control over unnu self because if unnu come with good P.R. then people could help. If unnu come like wah cat and dog, weh unnu expect people fi help them. Then I get fi understand that dah only two of the young man get charged when Lester Young was the driver and he get let go. So I wah know dah weh di happen.”

Resident #1
“As they hear George Street deh hurry come because dah lone murders live yah mommy; lone murders live yah, no decent people noh live dah this place. That’s all I got fi seh.”

Resident #2
“then deh come di bum rush George Street like dah George Street do the shooting. Everything fi them dah George Street. Nobody noh live in peace round yah. Every minute deh di come round and come round and deh noh seh weh deh di look for. All deh come fi seh deh come search you; come search and noh seh nothing else. Then deh expect people fi help them. How people fi give them good P.R. if deh no cooperate with people from round yah.”

Kimberly Todd
“Then deh wah di disrespect yuh and tell yuh all kind of thing and di try disrespect my ma. Suppose mi lee bredda mi deh out there now and get shot, ih mi wah be something different or then shot up dah di lady house. She got ih lone pickney deh up deh, suppose ih pickney deh mi get shot because bullet go through and through; bullet noh go one spot, bullet scatter, suppose ih mi ketch somebody else.”

The residents have identified the injured men as John Baptist and Shelton Tillett.

In late word tonight, News Five understands that around six this evening, another shooting occurred on George Street. The two Chinese grocers were injured during an apparent robbery. Sources say one of the victims was shot in his leg, while the other is being treated for wounds to his abdomen.