Cop acquitted after witness saw ‘fat policeman’ doing nothing
Jorge Lemus
In February 2010, Corporal Jorge Lemus and Constable Lazaro Catch, both attached to the Ladyville Police Substation, were charged in connection with the shooting death of Jamaican national, O’Neil Jones, who was killed at a bar in the Lord’s Bank community. Jones was shot dead while attempting to ride away from Ruba’s Bar, despite eyewitnesses stating that he was unarmed. Several weeks following the incident individual charges were brought against the two officers. The Director of Public Prosecutions levied a single charge of manslaughter against Lemus, while Catch was arraigned for one count of abetment to manslaughter.
Lazaro Catch
Lemus, who has remained on interdiction since the shooting, appeared before Justice Adolph Lucas today in the presence of attorneys Simeon Sampson and Darrell Bradley. Sampson initially filed a no case submission in which he stated that none of the prosecution’s witnesses saw Lemus open fire on Jones. Under oath, Lavern Stevens, testified that she never saw who shot Jones, mentioning only that it was a, “fat policeman.” With that Justice Lucas upheld the no case submission before ordering the jury to acquit Lemus of the manslaughter charge.
Give this cop another badge, he was just given more power to use his weapon in the name of justice. The only difference between a man on the street who kills and a cop who kills is the cop is given the legal rights to shoot and kill while being protected by the badge of this piece of crop government.
Fat police is nothing but a murderer. Belize police murder people all the time. They are judge, jury and executioner all in one. Plus they are protected by other police and the courts. Belizeans, get use to this trend . No justice in Belize.
Another case of DPP seemingly unprepared and not up to the job.
I had hopes Compol Whylie would begin to strengthen law enforcement here, but those hopes have been eroded to almost nothing. We’re still in a long, dark tunnel, with no end in sight.
uno just talk cause u dont know. the judge ruled. if tha mi the opposite way uno mi wa d celebrate. when police get killed no one gives a f;;k no when they defend themselfs da lat a things….
to fed up and Al–if it was the other way around what would you have said then? ‘ONE MORE DEAD’ without Police we can’t make it.