“Continue to Film Instances Where Officers Are Acting with Force”

Reporters also asked Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa about the viral video involving Sergeant Makin. He says that he was disturbed when he first saw the video. He later found out that the encounter stemmed from a report made by two minors. Minister Musa says he is now leaving it in the hands of the Professional Standard Branch. He is also encouraging citizens to continue recording police officers in events where it is believed that they are acting with excessive force.

 

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“When I saw the video for the first time, like the rest of Belize I was really disturbed because if it is one thing that our administration has been extremely adamant about it us that officers must be accountable for their behavior and they must not use excessive force in detaining individuals. So traditionally as you might know my instant reaction is that this requires immediate action from P.S.B. in terms of an investigation. So even without the complainant going in to say that he, well the suspect in this case, to say that he was the victim of excessive force, I requested of the Commissioner that he get professional standards branch to do an investigation into it. So that is currently taking place. Now let me say this point blank that if it was a random, arbitrary act by this officer, say for instance the had a personal issue with this individual and he would go and act out like this because of a personal issue, nothing to do with a chase or anything like that, I personally do not care if he is mother Theresa’s grandson, it is my expectation that P.S.B. would take immediate action, do an investigation and let the chips fall where they may. Now since then we gave learnt that two minors have gone into the San Pedro Police station to give statements, one is thirteen and one is fifteen. These minors, it is not my belief that they are making this scenario up. They were being chased by a number of individuals. It is believed that the suspect in this case was one of them, the young men altered Mr. Makin who was on his way home, I am told, to this incident and that is what prompted him to respond. Obviously, we only got a short clip, I don’t know if the video was spliced, but I want to encourage members of the public, continue to film instances where officers may be using force. But also try to give us the full picture because I don’t believe that is where the video started.”