Death Investigation Underway into Officer-Involved Fatality

Fitzroy Yearwood

Nicholas’ demise at the hands of police officers who were responding to the fatal shooting moments earlier has triggered an internal investigation, notwithstanding the fact that there was an exchange of gunfire.  According to Assistant Superintendent Fitzroy Yearwood, similar procedures will be followed where officer-involved shootings are concerned and guidance will be sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department

“We realize that rival groups in that area refuse, I must say refuse, to desist.  This is the second time where a shooter that has gone on a mission on that street has completed his mission but failed to return to base. In this instance, the age of the shooter is sixteen years.  We have several angles that we can look at this, I understand your question fully, but to stick to this particular shooting, yes, Shamar Nicholas has had run-ins with the police.  It is not a secret but a brazen act so early on a Sunday morning and I am certain [that] if you drive through Belize City on any given day, you would see that we have put back our permanent checkpoint in that area. As in all other cases, we do, how to say, process the scene the same way as it was an act committed by a civilian.  We do all the forensics and we have an internal investigation and definitely this ties in directly with the criminal investigation because at the end of the day it’s not just the loss of the alleged shooter by the police, but the loss of life at the hands of that person also.  So it is treated in the same manner and when the officer has been cleared we do update because at the end of the day, in these police related incidents, we do seek advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.”