And that race issue in law enforcement has been bedevilling Belize for decades. The fact is that black men are disproportionately targeted by the police - and, too often violently so - with little consequence for the officers.
Today, in the wake of Laddie's killing - many Belizeans have been reflecting on past police killings of innocent young men. And one that still resonates - even 15 years after it happened - is the killing of 21 year old Leslie Rogers. The sixth former was gunned down on Euphrates Avenue as he was preparing to got a big reggae concert - when he was shot in the back by a police officer.
And, again, the cop was charged for manslaughter. We dug into our archives for the emotional scene on Euphrates that night:
Allan Kelly, Friend
"A police officer isn't supposed to shoot anybody in their back. You should shoot a man for warning in his foot."
Brian "Yellowman" Audinett
"Hear who shoot the man right - dah Ayuso shoot the man, when the man the come running he came around in his patrol thing (vehicle) and shoot the man. Its not Denroy Barrow, its Ayuso who shoot the man."
Allan Kelly, Friend
"Execution. Broad thing right there and they got witness who see they kill the man in broad thing right there."
In that case, Constable Aldo Ayuso was charged for manslaughter, and the charge was later dropped. He has since re-enlisted and is now the driver to the Commissioner's of police.
Of course, there are so many other case sin our archive - Allyson Major, most recently, and back in 2003, Ruben Pony Alarcon and Darrell Mcdougal. Form our archives we have the interview with their loved ones when they tried to sue the government:
Lucy Macdonald, Mother of Darnel Macdonald
"My son wasn't in the wrong, my son wasn't doing anything. All my son was trying to do was to come out of the police way, that's all he was trying to do and they killed him for nothing and it hurts. It's almost a year and it still hurts as though it just happened yesterday so my grandchildren are left without a father and I am left without a son."
Elena Pilgrim, Wife of Leroy Pilgrim
"They took away my husband and...I don't know...[Crying]...he wasn't doing anything for him to be shot like that. That was a cold-blooded murder. You know since
I lose my husband it's been hard and tight on me. You know what's it like to wake in the morning and not see that loved one beside you anymore? When my little girl asks where is dad I have no answer."
The Police officers responsible were charged with manslaughter for the deaths of Rueben Alarcon, and Darnel McDonald.
