PLUS TV Journalist Assaulted by Police at Drowning Scene

Plus TV’s Ljay Wade says he was assaulted by police officers while he was covering a drowning incident at Guanacaste Park in Belmopan. He says that the officers threw him against a vehicle and demanded that he delete footage from his phone.

While Wade has chosen not to file an official police report, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed that the Belize Police Department is still investigating the matter. Williams told reporters that such actions are unacceptable and must be addressed.

“To assault a member of the media while conducting your duties is intolerable, so we must find a way to address it. I just won’t dismiss,” Williams said.

Williams stressed that police officers have no authority to force journalists to delete footage. “I will reiterate the fact that the media does have the right to be out there and to take photos or videos of the scene so long as they’re not doing so with a view to obstruct the work of the police.”

In 2023, Belize amended its Criminal Code to classify assaults against journalists and public officers as aggravated assault, a more serious offence.