And while the cops showed restraint in the north, they played no games with a group of men found with a firearm in Belize City.
Police may even have saved someone's life today after they pursued the three men inside a black SUV on Blue Marlin Boulevard.
This video footage shows two men with their hands on their heads and four officers surrounding them. One of the officers fires three warning shots into the air and one of the men is instructed to open the backseat door. He pulls on the handle but it is locked and another officer peers into the vehicle and instructs a third man to get out.
After the third man gets out, the officer who fired the shots approaches him and punches him twice - in the stomach and head. They then begin to search the men.
The officers later found a 9mm which was thrown from the vehicle a street away. Today, Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, commended the officers for being vigilant.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The police were patrolling in the Blue Marlin Drive area when they saw a group of young men who were acting suspicious in a vehicle and that led the police to pursue them and during the pursuit they fired shots at the police and police returned fire and was able to intercept them. Thankfully no one was injured during the process but police were able to recover the firearm that was used. The persons concerned were detained and will be charged by the police for firearm related offences."
