Foreign National Brandishes Firearm Outside Lands Department

Police have detained a fifty-five-year-old Lebanese man who brandished a firearm this morning outside the Department of Lands. Reports are that the individual, identified as a foreign national, visited the department and sought to join the express service line. He was reportedly informed that he needed to get a ticket which would indicate his position in the queue. The foreign national reportedly became infuriated after learning that he would not be given access without a ticket. Video has surfaced showing him hurling threatening words and brandishing a firearm during a verbal altercation with a security guard. Information is that at least three Special Patrol Unit officers were on duty at the location at the time. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

This morning, a fifty-five-year-old Lebanese man seeking the services of the Lands Department in Belmopan pulled out a firearm during a verbal altercation with an individual employed at the department. The individual seen dressed in a red T-shirt, a short pants and a hat can be heard hurling threatening words. He stepped closer to the door. He is then heard saying “I have one too”, before pulling a firearm from his waist. Chief Executive Officer Paul Thompson informed News Five that the individual visited the department and attempted to enter the express service line. The security guard reportedly informed him that he needs to get a ticket to join the line because there is a ticketing system in place.

 

That is when the individual became agitated and pulled out his firearm. Thompson told us that two security guards were on duty at the time of the incident, along with three Special Patrol Unit officers. Notwithstanding the relatively high level of security on the premises, the individual left the compound without being apprehended. The Ministry of Natural Resources has since met with members of the police department to formulate a plan for heightened security at the Lands Department. Currently, people visiting the department are not screened for weapons. Furthermore, individuals are allowed to park their vehicles on the premises. CEO Thompson informed News Five that these are all areas being looked at. Fortunately, no one was injured, though the weapon was drawn. The actions of this individual, however, amount to a clear violation of the gun regulations in Belize. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.