Was Alcohol A Factor in B.D.F. Shooting?

Violence within the B.D.F. is not unprecedented. In 2023, a BDF sergeant was demoted for shooting a fellow soldier at Fairweather Camp in 2019. In May 2024, police launched an investigation into an incident involving a soldier allegedly discharging a personal firearm at the same camp. Now, police are investigating the death of Private Clive Baizar, who was fatally shot on Sunday night at the Crique Sarco Conservation Post. While the motive for the incident remains unclear, preliminary reports suggest that alcohol may have been involved.  Commissioner of Police Chester Williams provided more details.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Last night, sometime after ten p.m. thereabout, police received information of shots fired in the Crique Sarco area. That is in the Toledo district, and upon responding, they encountered the lifeless body of a male person who was identified as Clyde Baizar, a private in the Belize Defence Force. The body exhibited gunshot injuries. Police also found another private by the name of Alfred Robinson, who was said to be the one who had inflicted the gunshot injuries to Baizar. Alfred was taken into custody by the police, where he is currently detained pending further investigation. Initial information received so far is that the two soldiers were socialising at the B.D.F. outpost in that area when they had an argument between themselves, which resulted in Robinson firing a series of gunshots and fatally hitting Baizar, and another soldier was also hit. That other soldier is currently admitted at the Western Regional Hospital recovering. So that is what we have at this time.”

 

Reporter

“Sir, we know you said that you don’t give information about gunshots fired. We’ve been told that there are as many as nine. What could, from your investigations, have triggered this solar fire that many rounds?”

 

Chester Williams

“I was not here, but as I said before, they had an argument, and that was what led to the gunshots being fired.”

 

Reporter

“While police strategy has lowered gang-related violence, how do you know how to tackle this kind of violence where arguments escalate to a fatal?”

 

Chester Williams

“Well, I don’t think you would expect that we’d be able to stop these types of killings. They’re certainly outside the preventative reach of the police. We just need to advise people to try as best as they can to resolve issues utilising other means as opposed to utilising fatal means. Injuries either by way of gunshot or otherwise. It has a lot to do with how you manage yourself at home or within your domestic or social setting. And that will determine how we can reduce the amount of incidents we’re seeing.”