Police Responds to Belize City Man’s Claims: They Attacked an Elderly Man 

The Belize Police Department has responded to claims made by a Belize City man on News 5 earlier this week. As we reported, the Belize City man said he is fearful after allegedly being shot multiple times with rubber bullets during a police raid on his property late Monday night. He said that while using the bathroom, he encountered officers in dark clothing, who shot him despite his surrender. The traumatised man, who has a newborn, is seeking legal action and plans to file a report after receiving medical treatment.

In a press statement, the Belize Police Department said that police officers protected and elderly citizen from being attacked.

“On Monday, September 23, 2024, at approximately 10:40 pm, our monitoring system detected an alarming situation on Central American Boulevard (C.A. Blvd), near the Faber’s Road junction.”

The release says that an elderly man was walking southbound along the boulevard towards Trinity Street when three young males emerged from the Matura residence at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Matura Street. It says that the individuals ran toward the elderly man, and moments later, surveillance footage captured them forcibly searching him after he had fallen to the ground. Following the attack, the assailants returned to the Matura residence.

The Department says that upon recognizing the urgency of the situation, the monitoring team immediately relayed the information via radio transmission. This prompted a quick response from a nearby patrol unit. Officers arrived at the scene at 10:43 pm and proceeded to search the residence where the suspects had fled. During the search, one individual, matching the attackers’ description, was taken into custody. When the suspect made a sudden movement as if reaching for something, an officer, fearing for his safety, discharged one non-lethal rubber bullet, successfully subduing the individual.

The suspect was transported to the Racoon Street Police Station by 10:47 pm, where he was processed and issued a medico-legal form before being taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for evaluation at 11:11 pm.

The department has released a video excerpt showing the key moments leading up to the intervention.