Ex-cop sentenced to ten years for manslaughter

A former police officer convicted of manslaughter has been sentenced to ten years behind bars. On January twenty-ninth, a jury found then police constable Burton Caliz guilty in the shooting death of Leroy Pilgrim. This morning, the defendant’s primary school teacher, Pamela Bodden and Inspector Dinsdale Thompson, chaplain of the Police Department, spoke on his behalf, describing Caliz as a young man deserving of mercy. Caliz’s attorney Dickie Bradley reiterated that position, asking Justice Troadio Gonzalez to use his discretion and not sentence his client to life. After considering the submissions, Gonzalez said he believed Caliz was sorry for the crime and because there were no previous convictions against him, sentenced him to spend the next ten years behind bars. The sentence takes effect from the date of conviction, January twenty-ninth. The killing of Leroy Pilgrim took place in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye in February 2004 when Caliz was in the process of making an arrest. Caliz had argued through attorneys Dickie Bradley and Ellis Arnold, that the shooting was an accident. Prosecutor for the case was Kamar Henry.