Kareem Franklin Found Not Guilty of Attempted Murder

Belize City resident, Kareem Franklin, was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder.  However, Justice Candace Nanton found the twenty-seven-year-old guilty of two counts of use of deadly means of harm with intent to cause grievous harm. Investigators say that Franklin was involved in a shootout that took place in Belize City on March first, 2016 in the Saint Martin’s De Porres area. Sentencing is set for September 26, 2024, and he faces up to ten years imprisonment on each count. Franklin was accused of attempting to murder two police officers, P.C. Stephen Choco and Joseph Sutherland. On the day of the incident, the officers were on motorcycle patrol on Mahogany Street when they encountered Franklin, who was acting suspiciously. Franklin opened fire at the officers, but fortunately, he missed them. Franklin denied being present at the scene, claiming he was at home and later at a football field when the incident occurred. However, video footage captured near a dental clinic in the area showed a man identified by two separate police officers as Franklin with a gun in his hand. In her ruling, Justice Nanton stated that while the Crown did not prove Franklin intended to kill, his actions showed an intention to cause grievous harm. Franklin was represented by Attorney Ronell Gonzalez.