One man who knows that holding area all too well is St. Martin's resident Floyd Jones. Last week he told us about his unexpected stay in the Queen Street cellblock.
He told Cherisse Halsall that he was plucked from an appointment, arrested, and put at risk of contracting COVID-19.
You may know Floyd Jones for his skills as a baller. He's a Semi-Pro player who's even played on Belize's national team but tonight he's not on the news for winning a trophy or traveling to play abroad, nope. Instead, Jones tells us that he was profiled as a criminal, just for being from the wrong neighborhood.
Floyd Jones, Semi-Pro Footballer
"I made an appointment for the Barber shop for 11:30 Wednesday morning. I got there at exactly, so while sitting in the Barber shop I saw two truck load of gang suppression unit approach the yard. While reaching there they met a young man at the gate who didn't even enter the yard, they took him and pushed him straight in the yard through the gate, everybody descended upon the yard the Gang suppression unit. They told everybody to stand up one of them came to the door and said young man step out of the shop because we will conduct a search, well I complied because I didn't have anything illegal on me."
"They no search the yard all they did was search everybody in person. After that the commander of the unit said well we are waiting ATGF to come, that's the Anti Gang task force, 5 minutes later they reached, they were detaining man, it's not everybody that's a gunman like how your speculating, it's not everybody that's a member of a gang like how you all are speculating. Because then the whole of Belize City get section off by gangs."
Jones says he was breaking down inside but that outwardly he had to appear strong in order to speak up for himself and to let the cops know that he didn't belong there.
Floyd Jones, Semi-Pro Footballer
"When we got to the police station the first thing they hollered was that they would detain the whole crowd, the gang suppression Unit said they were detaining the whole crowd for a PIV for shooting. 5 minutes later the gang task force steps in and said nobody was getting charge for shooting, everybody will get lockdown and everybody will be charged for being part of a gang. That was the final word. I ended up in the cellblock."
Jones also told us that he was worried about exposure to COVID 19 and having to return to his wife and children. And that while he spent the night in that cell block he refused to allow the department to enter him into their system.
Floyd Jones, Semi-Pro Footballer
"Hours later now they came back for me when the man came back for me and they told me they will do a profiling. When I reach in the room I see a fingerprinting thing and a picture taking thing. I tell myself no because if I get in that thing then that's it for me, because at the end of the day it will show that I am a part of a gang. So if a state of emergency comes down tomorrow Floyd Jones you gone because you are part of a gang. If gunshot burst, they are coming for you because you are a part of a gang. I denied that. I told them I am not taking this, because you are not doing your job right, if you guys were doing your job right."
Jones has his day in court tomorrow, Wednesday, December 23rd.
