Police offer official report on Friday’s shooting spree

On Friday, we reported on a shooting in the Mahogany Street area which involved the Police, GSU and the occupants of a van. The violent event unfolded at about one-forty on Friday afternoon when the Mahogany Street area was abuzz with activity. In a high speed chase, police eventually caught up with the van and its driver was detained and arraigned today in court. But prior to that there were shootings on East Collet Canal and at the Lord Ridge Cemetery; twenty-seven year old Joshua Lewis was injured. It is believed that the string of shootings led to the gunfire on Mahogany Street. Duane Moody traces the shooting from start to finish.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It was almost like a Wild Wild West movie last Friday afternoon as Belize City police set chase after a suspect van in the St. Martins Area. As reported by the media, a police squad attempted to intercept a heavily-tinted, maroon Astro Chevrolet van as it approached the Belize District Education Center. Officers were reportedly seen jumping out of their vehicle and unleashing a barrage of bullets in the direction of the van. When the driver pulled into this yard on Santa Barbara Street, he was detained by officers.

Cpl. Jorge Lemus

Cpl. Jorge Lemus, Admin Officer, Precinct Two, Belize City Police

“Police set chase at this van to intercept this van; however, this van eluded police. Police set up a barricade on Mahogany Street to try and stop this said vehicle that was driving recklessly. The information we received was that occupants from this said van was firing shots in the area, hence the reason for police pursuing this said van. On Police Street, a passenger exited this said vehicle where GSU personnel who were in this area, pursued this person that fled the said van; he was detained and escorted to the station. The pursue continued up into the Cemetery Area, Partridge Street and ended up in the vicinity of Santa Barbara Street where a male occupant drove his vehicle into a yard and escaped. Police pursued this said male person and apprehended him. Inside the vehicle, crime scene technicians recovered one expended nine-millimeter shell.”

Several bullet holes were seen on the van—to the windshield, door and the back. At the scene where Marquin Drury was detained, his attorney spoke to the media of the injuries his client sustained, allegedly at the hands of the police firing squad.

Bryan Neal

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Marquin Drury [File: March 28^th, 2014]

“Well the police are alleging that my client, Mister Marquin Drury, was involved in a shootout. What my instructions are is that he was shot at and the police as well was shooting at him. I saw some bullet holes, some entry wounds in his vehicle and also I saw some grazes on his body—on his knee and on his face. So my feeling is that he was the target of a gunplay and police are somehow now accusing him of being the triggerman.”

Cpl. Jorge Lemus

“At this time, the investigation is ongoing and if there is any witness that witnessed the shots being fired at the suspect, I would invite them to visit precinct two to give their witness statement in regard to that.”

Police believe that the shooting spree by the occupants of the same Astro Chevrolet van started half an hour earlier on East Collet Canal when a taxi driver was shot and rushed to the K.H.M.H.

Supt. Alden Dawson, O.C., Precinct 1, Belize City Police

Supt. Alden Dawson

“A young man, Joshua Lewis, of an Amara Avenue address, visited the police station and stated that he was driving his Toyota Corolla taxi on East Collect Canal when a red Astro Van drove up next to him and the driver pointed a firearm and fired a shot at him. The shot caught him in his left arm and penetrated his ribcage. Since then, we have arrested a young man by the name of Marquin Drury, and charged him for that incident.”

This was followed by a shooting near the Cemetery on the George Price Highway. There, several nine-millimeter expended shells were discovered by officers attached to Precinct Two of the Belize City Police Department.

Cpl. Jorge Lemus

“Information was received from the police communications center of shots being fired at the entrance of the cemetery. Police visited that area where it was confirmed that shots were fired in that area and police recovered four nine-millimeter expended shells. The scene was processed by our crime scene technicians. Thereafter, we received further information of shots being fired in the Lacroix Boulevard area. Police visited that area where a red in color Astro van was seen driving at a high speed. Yes, we’ve confirmed that it was the same van that was doing the shootings in precinct two area. Hence the reason for our pursuit.”

Drury was arraigned today for the shooting of Lewis. Duane Moody for News Five.

Twenty-two year old Marquin Drury appeared in court today with Attorney Bryan Neal where he was charged with one count of Use of Deadly Means of Harm and Grievous Harm against Joshua Lewis.