“A trigger happy police officer shot my nursing dog”

One Belize City family is tonight seeking answers after a police officer entered their property and shot their nursing dog. Brendalee Riverol says three officers visited her home on Wednesday evening seeking the whereabouts of her son. They were reportedly in the presence of a young man who claimed that he gave Riverol’s son five hundred dollars and a motorbike to fix several months ago, and he has not heard from him since. According to Riverol, her son was not home at the time. The officers reportedly searched the property, but they did not find the motorbike the young man claimed to be his. The officers later left the property, but not without first critically injuring their dog that delivered ten pups thirteen days ago. Brendalee Riverol and her daughter, Royanne Riverol, told us more.

 

Brendalee Riverol, Supal Street Resident

“So I said officer, he said let me go back there to check. I said officer we have a dog back there and ih just have puppy. He said well go hold him or tie him. I said I can’t hold her or tie her because I don’t want her to bite me. The dog is not an aggressive dog, dah wah very disciplined mannerly dog, just like human. Whatever you tell him she will do. Ih come to the other side of the yard and gone to the back. The dog come out because ih hear ruction outside and ih know somebody strange in the yard so she come out and started to bark. So I sih ih put ih hand to the side and I said, you nuh wah do what I think you will do. Then he shot the dog and I said to officer you actually shoot my dog in front of me. I said come on mien, you senseless. I said how you could be so reckless and trigger happy. So he come out and the two officers standing there, the officers said the dog attack the officer. I said no, unu liad the dog did not attack the officer and my neighbor was upstairs looking out and started to shout. He said, mien that dog just have puppy and the lady tell unu. They said, oh you get back in your yard, mine your own business one of the lady officer told ah. Mine your own business. No, that is everybody’s business.”

 

Royanne Riverol, Supal Street Resident

“From ever since Nipsey came into our lives, I never find a dog more living, caring attached on to kids like that. Nipssey goes everywhere like that and she never bothers anybody. We not even lash this dog or anything like that. This dog dah more of a human to we than an actual dog. I had to rush her, I rush her to Animal Medical Centre and upon rushing her she was losing a lot of blood. We nearly lost her. Right now, she is in critical condition, stable but critical, but we can’t find exactly where the bullet is. And, she is bleeding a lot, she has distressed breathing. This is uncalled for, to let an officer come in our home like this and come with that rage to just shoot a dog like that. You come and ask the right question and don’t come without a paper in your hand, a warrant of sort.”

 

Reporter

“And clearly what they were looking for is not here”

 

Royanne Riverol

“It is not here.”