You've heard about -black on black- crimes right? Well, how about -Gang on Gang- straight up warfare? That seemed to have been the case in the Old Capital as the Gang Suppression Unit sought to establish that they - as the streets would put it -run things-. According to residents of George Street the gang in uniform used brute force with no consideration for the elderly, women and children. The residents told 7 News that they were brutally beaten by members of the GSU on Friday after they returned from attending the funeral of Charles Woodye who was shot and killed on August 15th. Among those who were allegedly brutalized were 38 year old Carlos Abraham A.K.A. 'Sinbad,' his common- law wife, Dana Todd, 32 year old Gerald 'Shiny' Tillett- the brother to the boss of George Street, Pinky Tillett and Shawn Allen. Only Abraham and Tillett were charged by the Police. 7news was on George Street today were the residence gave us their testimony of what happened on Friday.
Out of about 40 plus George Street men that were detained for over 68 hours by police over the weekend - only two were charged today by police.
38 year old Carlos Abraham - known as Sinbad and 32 year old Gerald Shiny Tillett- brother of George Street Boss - Pinky Tillett - were released on bail around 10 this morning.
Monica Bodden Reporting
We followed them to their George Street home.
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"We had a little eating after the funeral and the policeman pass and pepper spray the yard and broke my glass. I was in my house and didn't know what was taking place outside. When I came out side and see what was happening - out here was already in chaos. I ask the policeman why they broke my glass and they didn't give me any answer as to why they broke my glass. I start to flip because I needed to know what was going on because it is my property."
"Right after the evening news they came. They pepper spray everyone in the yard and whap people from left to right, all of the officers had on masks."
Monica Bodden
"Nobody explain why they were whapping you all for?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"They didn't explain anything to anybody - they just start to whap people like they are crazy. Old and young people got whap. Even people that came for the funeral - all of them got chance."
Monica Bodden
"You all try to ask the police what was going on?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"They don't want to hear anything. We couldn't even say anything to them. They told us to get down and while we were getting down they just lash us - they didn't come for reasoning and no talking, they didn't search for anything. They didn't bring any warrant - they just come and brutalize us and took us to the station. Then they take all our phones and don't want to give us back. Nobody got back their phone. They don't want us to go to the hospital; we were bleeding all over. They kick one of my friends in his mouth because he was asking to go to the hospital."
Monica Bodden
"What did they do to you? What are your injuries?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"They fracture my hand with a bat. They whap me in my head with a baton. I have 2 fractures on my foot."
Monica Bodden
"They still hold you for over 48 hours?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"I got hold for 68 hours and then they gave me a charge for obscene language. After they chance me, they want to make up some bogus charges for me. This is politics friend. We already know what is happening because when we were there after the 48 hours - we said that we will get release because we already do our 48 with no charges. When our lawyer came he said to us that Dean Barrow says to left us there for another 48 hours."
Monica Bodden
"For what reason?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"For no reason, I still want to know what is going on."
Monica Bodden
"It almost seems like every time after a funeral......"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"Every time, this is the third time for us. Every time we have to bury somebody we have to go through this. It not like we are doing anything, we are not rebelling against anything. We didn't do anything. We came home to finish up what we were doing; we were not on the street. The police came and kick down our barbeque grill and break up all the liquor - they took the liquor bottles and break it into people heads and shock us with taser gun. No shooting was going here. They have a big camera here. It's not like they are not seeing what is going on - they have a camera over our place, we can't do anything out of order."
Area resident
"They took my gold chain, they thief my medal."
Monica Bodden
"They actually charge you. What did they charge you with?"
Area resident
"They charge me for "throwing missile", "death threat" and "damage to government property". I watch them burst in here and they start to burst bottles in my boys' head, they whap me with a baseball bat in my chest, put me on the ground and hand-cuff me and beat me in the back."
Monica Bodden
"How many of you guys from George Street was lock down this weekend?"
Area resident
"About 40 plus from here. See the paper here with all our names."
Monica Bodden
"For no reason at all."
Area resident
"We thief the paper. We have evidence. For no reason at all they beat us like we are their children. They didn't say that we were under arrest for certain things - they just came and tell us to get down and they start to whap people. They disrespect my mother, they lash a blind man, and they don't have any respect."
"Dean Barrow better tightened up and talk to his gang unit because he is the one who has the gang unit behaving like this."
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"The officers at the police station can't do anything because they have to deal with Dean Barrow to deal with us - they are the law, so if they are the law and they have to go to Dean Barrow why are they working."
Area resident
"I think they are Dean Barrow death squad. It looks like he built his death squad that is what I think. GSU is a stupid unit. That is Dean Barrow death squad. GSU can't stop any problem. GSU is making problems."
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"They are not solving the problem; they are making the problem worse because if they are dealing with we the righteous - there are no illiterate people here - all of us went school, all of us have an education. We are not ignorant people. I work - I do real estate. I am not an idiot."
Area resident
"Murder is happening and we are lock down and they are still calling our names. They say that George Street is killing people and they have 40 plus people lock down. People are still dying and they are saying its George Street."
Monica Bodden
"They say that the homeless man....."
Area resident
"We were locked up, so how will we kill when we are locked up. Is it them that took us out for us to go and kill?"
Monica Bodden
"You think its finish? Or you think you all will get harass by the GSU?"
Area resident
"We are born in harassment, nothing has change. As you go they will come and harass us. We are born in this but we don't worry about this."
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"We need justice."
Area resident
"Police push me to the ground and the Spanish policeman "Nah" stomped me in my head back and blood started to run down my face. They are trying to create monsters. They don't know me as any criminal."
Monica Bodden
"You were just watching carnival practice?"
Area resident
"I did go to the funeral but I left the funeral late, so when we reach here the police were already here, so I stayed over by the carnival crowd."
Monica Bodden
"You all get disrespected as females. They taser any of you?"
Area resident
"Everybody, I had my nephew with me and I had to run in a lady yard from them. They were going on really crazy. The children had carnival practice - they police fire a gunshot but it looks like it was rubber bullets - the children covered their mouths because it looks like there was tear-gas."
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"After we vote in Dean Barrow - this is what he did to us - he chance us."
Area resident
"The Gang Unit has my phone that I just buy in the week."
Monica Bodden
"All your phones they hold at the station?"
Area resident
"We were right here and the officer came here in casual clothing - he pulls his gun at me. This is what "Nah" do to my little girl at the police station."
Monica Bodden
"They lock you down for what?"
Area resident
"For nothing. they just take away her phone for nothing."
Monica Bodden
"What did they tell you they are taking you for?"
Area resident
"For nothing, they just came to pick up people for nothing."
Area resident
"They just come to beat up everybody for nothing. Is it war that they want? They are not stopping violence, they are bringing it more."
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"They just broke my car glass and they expect me not to say anything. When I came out to find out what was happening - it's like I have no rights, it's my property. We don't have any rights now then? Is this how big Dean Barrow gets now that nobody can't talk to him. We know that we won't get any justice. We will sue the government."
Monica Bodden
"So everybody decide on suing the government?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"Yes all of us will sue. One lawsuit from the firm. We can't take anymore. They are pushing us on the edge. We are home and they come to chance us, we are in station and they chance us still."
Rowland Parks, Reporter
"Did they find any kind of drugs?"
Carlos Abraham - Claims police brutality
"Nothing, they didn't even search, all they come to do was to brutalize people and take everybody. They didn't come with any kind of knowledge; they didn't come with any procedures. They just come with brute force and masks. The first time they came as police, after that they came in masks to beat us. If you are a mask man, then what kind of police are you. That is showing us that they have their own gang. Dean Barrow bad man gang."
Area resident
"All of us are ready to die right now if that's what they want, we just want them to know that it is the whole of Belize that will suffer, and innocent people will pay the cost because innocent people are among us."
Dana Todd
"I was here in the yard with everybody. We were having a re-pass after the funeral. I can't really recall the whole thing but it's just a couple seconds after the police came. They came back with masks - I try to ask them the reason for just coming in and beating everybody and they give any reason. They start to curse - the taser me on my leg."
Monica Bodden
"For no reason at all?"
Dana Todd
"They didn't want to hear anything. They didn't ask any question. they just start to beat left, right and center. I still don't know why, only they can answer the question why. It happens so fast, I couldn't remember everything but I know they were beating people. They had rubber bullets, they had pepper spray - they were pepper spraying people - man, woman, it didn't matter who it was. you could even say anything."
But what really started the whole commotion between the GSU and the George Street residence?
Well we understand that the Mesop police substation was shot up that evening. The person to experience the direct effect of that shooting incident was Dorla Vaughn - Band leader of the Black Pearl Carnival Group and a Justice of the Peace.
Monica Bodden
"I understand that police actually entered your home on Friday right? What happen? What you recall?"
Dorla Vaughn- Black Pearl Carnival "We were at the lane standing and waiting for a second truck to come and pick up the rest of kids for the motorcade when we heard like 3 loud bang, we were wondering where the bang was coming from. So one of the little girl went in my house to use the bathroom, so I went there to see if everything was safe with her but when I took her out the house I went back in the yard because no one was in my house and when coming down the house a police officer came running up the step with a big stick and he push me in my chest and in my house. I identify myself to him. I told him that I am a JP and he told me that he didn't care who I was and he push me in my chest. He says that he will search the house. They did their search and didn't find anything. Then I came downstairs and so I went to the station to confront the officer who said that the shot was from my house. So when I went in the station all the police that was there rush at me, so my friends told me to move away from the station because the police will disrespect me."
"After that, I had forgotten about it. The commotion was still going and so I took all the kids in the station for security."
Monica Bodden
"When all of this was happening, the kids were just coming from the motorcade?"
Dorla Vaughn- Black Pearl Carnival "Yes, when the police came here to deal with the young men. We were on the other street with the truck still playing music. The music stops because we heard gunshots. I told them to stop the music and let everybody get out of the area. So the kids that live far away I put them in the building and I stand there with them."
"After the police was passing with the boys in the truck - the last truck, the police deliberately put his hands out and point the thing in the building and fire it off. The fumes went down my throat and I heard everybody start to scream - we had to run out. A neighbor gave us ice water to wash our face. I think that was uncalled for because there was only women and children. No young man was in the building."
Carlos Abraham was charged with using obscene language when he appeared today in the Magistrate's Court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail of $200. His case was adjourned until October 11th.
Tillett was charged with issuing 'death threats,' damage to property and throwing missiles. He was arraigned today in the #4 Magistrate's Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Police alleged that on Friday August 26th Tillett threatened to kill Detective Constable Elmer Nah. The Police further alleged that Tillett damaged the back glass of the Police Mitsubishi Pick - Up Truck while it was parked on George Street. The damage was allegedly caused by missiles that were thrown by Tillett. Tillett was released on bail of $3,000 and his case was adjourned until October 20th.
