Dangriga resident Edan Guzman was arrested for harm in 2015 but escaped custody while being transported to The Belize Central Prison.
That's when, according to Guzman, he was shot up to 10 times by his arresting officers in an incident that ultimately led to the loss of his leg.
Now, years later, and without ever filing either a lawsuit or a report to the Professional Standards Branch, Edan Guzman is speaking out, asking where he can turn for compensation after loss of limb and livelihood:
That was 5 years ago; since then, Guzman suffered the loss of that leg and has served almost a year at the Kolbe Foundation for the crimes of harm and escape.
And, this morning he stopped by our studios to give his account of what happened on that fateful December day.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Did you in fact escape from the vehicle?"
Edan Guzman
"Well I will say like this I did not escape, while we were going on our way the officers made certain stops in certain places, I would say Chinese and I believe that they were drinking."
"One of the officers said to me If you guys escape I will shoot you so as we approached Hattieville. I would say they threatened us that if we go, they just threatened us so we made a stop there and I believe it was an attempt because they were telling us that they would kill us and stuff. So it was two of us but they were threatening us so I believe that when we jumped off of the mobile because they were threatening us."
"I was in the ground waiting for them to arrest me because they were shooting at us so I stood there and I waited for them to come and arrest me right so they did arrest me but while I was there one of the officers automatically shot me two times with a 12 gauge gun, a shotgun, and he shot off my leg. Then another police came, he took his pistols and I remember that he shot me almost 7 times both legs and hands."
Those gunshot wounds completely changed Guzman's life. He's in need of surgery to remove three bullets still lodged in his body and says that in his present condition he has no hope of employment.
Edan Guzman
"After I got released from the hospital, they just released me and sent me direct to prison but he doctor said somebody said that bullets do affect your body and they poison your blood and i'm having issues walking on my crutches."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Why?"
Edan Guzman
"Why, because the bullets are affecting me now for four years now and that's the reason why I ask who will help to take these bullets out. I have no money to pay. Is it the police department if I go to them?"
Cherisse Halsall:
"So is there a bullet in your hand as well?"
Edan Guzman
"Yes, I have a bullet right here, this was the bullet that was going to my head. When the police was aiming at me and I just did this and you know."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And today it's an obstacle for holding your crutches?"
Edan Guzman
"It's an obstacle for me to walk and the bullet on my left leg that I have here is affecting my knee here. I can't feel it and it's affecting me a lot."
But even if Guzman had a case against the cops he may have missed his window. Still he's trying to make an appeal that goes straight to the top.
Edan Guzman
"I didn't make any lawsuit because I didn't have anyone to help me or support me to make a lawsuit against them and I remember someone telling me that after a year you cannot make a lawsuit against them, so I took it on my own."
"I would like to directly ask Mr. Chester Willams, right, if I go to the hospital and they give me some bills to take this bullet out that are killing me right now. Who will pay the bills is it the police department or myself even though I did not make the lawsuit. I went to the Ombudsman three years back now I haven't gotten any response from them. I want to know what is the outcome."
We reached out to Kolbe Foundation for a comment but were told that Guzman in fact escaped from police custody. We asked the Commissioner for comment, and are waiting on his reply.
