Shooting on Amara Avenue; Three Injured
Reese Fitzgibbon
The gun violence in Belize City continues. On Saturday night, a gunman on a motorcycle is reported to have approached a group of men on Amara Avenue and fired several shots in their direction. At least three men were hit; fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, and all were later released from the hospital. Quick response by police led officers to nearby Supal Street, where they reportedly sought to detain at least one man believed to have been involved in the shooting. In the process of detaining the suspect, police allegedly shot the individual. Today we met the mother and girlfriend of Reese Fitzgibbon outside the Racoon Street Police Station. They were there to file a report against the officer who allegedly shot Fitzgibbon.
Marie Alvarez, Mother of Reese Fitzgibbon
Marie Alvarez
“When I was home Saturday night, my neighbor yelled for me to tell me police beating up my son. By the time I come out to see my son, the police drive off without me seeing my son. First place I went is KHMH and I see a lot of cops, and I ask them where my son is, you shot my son. They say no Reece Fitzgibbon at the Hospital. They tell me call either Precinct 1,2 or 3. First place I call is Precinct 2, which is Racoon St Police Station. When I call Precinct 2, I talk to the officer, and I tell them I call to talk to Reece Fitzgibbon. So the police told me, yes we have a Reece Fitzgibbon here, the same one we just shot. So, I say oh unu the admit to me that unu just shot my son. And when I said that, they hung up the phone in my ears.”
Reporter
“I gather you all intend to press charges if you can.”
Marie Alvarez
“Yes sir I will press charges against the officer who shot my son. I will also sue them too. This is not the first second or third. They always harass my son for no reason.”
Kamisha Shiel
Kamisha Shiel, Girlfriend of Reese Fitzgibbon
“Deh mih have a funeral Saturday where they gawn bury their cousin, the young man that was killed in Mahogany Hieghts. They left early cause deh say they don’t want police harass them. After that they gawn home. I gawn dah work. He the watch the baby. So, police look like, some shooting happen dah Amara and deh mussy feel like dah wah retaliation. I dont know what dah deh motive, what deh think. Deh end up gawn pan Supal Street fih arrest everybody. He the explain to them, how unu wah ker me and I deh with my baby. I can’t guh lef the baby on their own. Deh seh we nuh give a ****, we wah still ker yo. The rough up ah from in the house. Deh end up handcuff ah, ker ah eena the truk. He the ask bout the babies deh. And he the tell me pikni fih guh dah mih mah. Sametime, they done handcuff and put ah eena the truck, deh just shot ah. And then they tell ah, yo sih what yo cause because yo no the listen, just lets go.”
According to Alvarez, this is not the first time officers have showed up to her yard to detain individuals. She argues that while police believes her son is a gang member, she denies it.
