And while the Haitian president was assassinated in his own home, two men are claiming they were assaulted in the police station. The men, Michael Gladden and Israel Usher - who are from Rocky Road in Belize City, say they were at home on Wednesday when police officers stormed the place and accused them of involvement in Tuesday's murder of Stefan Bowen.
They were taken to the police station, where they claim they were immediately subjected to physical abuse. They tried speaking up for themselves but that only made things worse as three officers allegedly handcuffed them to chairs, placed bags over their heads, and beat them repeatedly. Gladden, who suffered a swollen arm, eye, and other injuries, told us his side of the story.
Voice of Michael Gladden, Victim of Police Brutality
"They knock he and I tell them we didn't come here for anybody to knock us. He said you're lucky a camera is in here and I will deal with you furthermore. They put me in my cell, and I felt it was over and they come back for me and I thought it was for an interview, they took me to King Street station and they start to beat me, they already had me handcuffed, so they beat me. Inspector - - - -, he made them beat me the second time. Cause this beating was the first beating when I just reached station. So police bwai come and tell me if I know him and know who he was talking to. And then he stamped me in me chest because I was handcuffed sitting down, and I cant do or say anything so I just stay and take my lick. They beat me and beat me and tell me to pass on the message to my friends because all of us are taking them lightly and because of us, they will deal with us, because of my friend Christopher Hyde because he is the boss around here and they try say he run around here but he doesn't run here."
"When they done beat me, Mr - - - - was looking to take me back to Raccoon Station. I wasn't done getting beat up. Mr - - - - told them to put me in the cell because I disrespected him a weekend when he was passing and tell he something, he said I disrespect him and I didn't tell him anything. He and another of my friend had an altercation and he didn't like what my friend told me, he know it wasn't me, and he still let them beat me and he knew I didn't tell him anything. And I get beat bad, I can't even sleep good on my hand when they beat me up, my chest, I can't even breathe good right now. Like I'm forcing to do this, my chest is hurting me bad right now, my hand is hurting me, they punch me in my head back, slap up me in my face, do me all kind of thing for no reason and told me that they run the streets and I'm no gangster and only playing like I'm a bad man and I didn't do anything."
Usher also spoke to us and said that they're only being targeted because of their association with another man, Christopher Hyde.
Israel Usher, Victim of Police Brutality
"I told him men are animals, you can't be dealing with man like that, we have understanding. After that he punched me in my chest, when the (expletive) punch me in my chest, I called the next officer for the officer to see what happened. The man punch me in my belly again, when he punched me again,, I have to shove him away from me, he done punch me two time and I wasn't going to stay there and get beat down. After that the man looked at me and told me we will dance later, because cameras are here I can't do what I want right now. The man see how the camera was on us. He took us in front of the inspector, inspector was taking us for poppyshow. "I hope unu dah noh (expletive); You're the (expletive):10
"Later they came for me and my friend who was talking earlier, took us to King Street, and handcuffed us to the chair like this. Watch my hand, watch my (expletive) hand, they lashed me on my hand, watch my chest, lashed me in my chest, with a (expletive) stick, I don't even know where they got the stick from."
"We meet Inspector - - - - when Inspector - - - - saw me he said this is the one who disrespect me two or three weeks ago, bwai who disrespect you, You don't even know me, fool, I don't even know you. "Take them back in the room" look like he already know those guys came to beat us and didn't say anything. And when he get the sense of who they were beating, he sent them back into the room with us for them to beat us again, Inspector - - - -."
"All bag they put over our face, shove tazer on us, like man dah (expletive) lizard for you to shock."
"Only my chest pain me still, my hand feels like it's out of place but I'm not worried about it because we're men, we'll survive."
Reporter
"And you said they were accusing you of something that you didn't do?"
Israel Usher, Victim of Police Brutality
"Yes, because I'm still here. PI Murder, they locked me down for 48 hours for a PI murder, something they know I didn't do, they have a stupid camera at the front, they know I'm on the camera, why don't they check the camera, they saw that I didn't go anywhere, so why did they come back pick me up for?"
Reporter
"And how would answer the criticism that other people will have that if you've been involved in illicit activity then the police will do what they need to do?"
Israel Usher, Victim of Police Brutality
"I haven't been in any activities before so they can't say I've been in any activities before. The other day they picked me up and charged me for being a gang member and before that about two, three years pass, this is the past I'm telling you about, I'm here now, I'm not doing anything, I'm here now still not doing anything."
The men, who were just released today, weren't afforded any medical attention.
