“Dr. Sutherland” Thanks ComPol, “Chester, I Love You”

On Friday, we reported that Harry Sutherland, also known as Doctor Sutherland, was charged by police for riding his bicycle with a five-gallon bottle of water on the handle. At the time, Sutherland was carrying the water for an elderly woman in the area. The charge alleged that he was unable to fully control his bike due to the way he carried the bottle. This sparked public outrage, with many people finding the charge unreasonable. Shortly after the story broke, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams took to Facebook to call the charge unusual and announced that he had ordered it to be withdrawn. Today, we heard from both ComPol Williams and Sutherland.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The issue with Harrison Sutherland is one that outrages the public. While I can say categorically that I do not act on public outrage, but I act on what is reasonable and just. While there is a law that says you are not supposed to carry load on a bicycle that disallows you from properly maneuvering the bicycle, that law does not contemplate a five-gallon bottle of water, or grocery bags you go to the grocery store and buy and have to come riding on your bicycle with those items on your bike. Even in the absence of the good gesture that Mr. Sutherland was performing, to arrest a person for carrying a five gallon on a bicycle is not reasonable. The law itself, as I said to my commanders this morning, would deal with those persons you see carry a fridge, a chest of draw, maybe lumbers, large piece of lumbers extending out and impeding traffic.”

 

Harry Sutherland, Belize City Resident

“I will shake my hand and scratch it for Mr. Chester, using his discretion against that officer that held that charge against me. That is why Mr. Chester I love you and respect you for what you did and said about me. I could understand if I was doing something wrong or whatever. I would accept all my charges against me. But to assist with something, come on Mr. Chester. That is why I love how you use your discretion against that officer towards me.”

 

Paul Lopez

“So you were detained, place behind a cell, dragged before a magistrate, do you feel like you deserve more than just an apology and the charge dropped?”

 

Harry Sutherland

“Further discretion, I will leave that to Mr. Chester conversation, let Mr. Chester think bout that.”