It was a sensational killing that raised public anger over the police abuse of force. But yesterday almost a year and a half after the fatal shooting of Darnell McDonald, his accused killer Special Branch Corporal Sherwood Wade walked free from manslaughter charges. The presiding judge freed Corporal Wade after the jury said they were deadlocked and unable to reach a unanimous decision. The decision shocked many but none more than Darnell's mom.
Keith Swift Reporting,
When Darnell McDonald was killed on June 14th of 2003, his brother who witnessed the shooting told 7NEWS he saw a policeman shoot his brother.
Selwyn McDonald, Darnell’s Brother
[June 2003] “I saw the shots coming from the vehicle. There is nobody could tell me that it wasn’t the policeman.”
But when it came to trial, a jury was not so convinced and after 5 hours and 45 minutes, the 5 men and 4 women were deadlocked. With that hung jury, Sherwood Wade was set free. Darnell’s Mother Lucy McDonald reacted to the verdict today.
Lucy McDonald,
“He walked free. He went back to his mother, he went back to his children, he is going back to his job and I am almost sure of that. My son is under the ground thanks to him. But I am a Christian person I pray a lot and I am going to pray for him. I am going to pray for him because he knows that what he did was wrong and I want that when he looks at his children, he will imagine Darnell’s children without a father. When he hugs his mother I want him to see or feel that I cannot have a son whose going to hug me the way he is going to hug his mother. We are very hurt about it.”
“More or less I could have guessed how that case would end because he is a policeman and I know being a policemen they were going to take the blame away from him and find him not guilty as they did. But I am going to pursue this and won’t leave it like that.”
And this family says they can’t because they need justice for Darnell.
Gertrude Daniels, Darnell’s Aunt
“Yeah we need justice and I know they are going to put him back on the job. He should not be a policeman. He should not be a policeman because policemen are there to protect not to hurt.”
The McDonald family has a filed a civil suit against Corporal Sherwood Wade and the Government of Belize which is pending. It is at the DPP's discretion if Wade will be re-tried criminally. There is no official word from the police department if he will be re-instated.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift