And, while the families mourn, in these two killings, the commissioner sees avoidable situations if only both men were falling the community safety guidelines for COVID 19. Here's how he put it today:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The victim was in front of an establishment in Belize City with his vehicle parked, the tailgate open and was drinking in public. Now while that is no justification for the perpetrator of the crime, we'd like to appeal to the public to understand that public drinking is an offense and especially in a time like this where we're under quarantine. We really and truly want to appeal to the public to please work with us, as well as the health officials with a view to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. And then our last weekend murder which was yesterday, again, Mr. Cowo will tell you that the victim was playing basketball. Again, under the Quarantine Regulation, it clearly says that there shall be no contact sports. Contact sports include basketball, football, baseball and any other sports that bring you into close contact with your opposing side, including rugby. What the regulation does allow are non-contact sports such as golf, volleyball and maybe tennis. So again, please let us adhere to the provisions of the Quarantine Regulations."
