Turning back to the situation in Santa Familia, we've seen a leaked statement on the Belize News Network from the police officer attached to the Village's police station. He was part of the team of lawmen who confronted Jessie Escobar, who was fatally injured in a questionable shooting.
Well, he reported to his police superiors that in that incident, he and his BDF colleagues were about to leave the Branch Mouth Stop and Shop store, when their attention was drawn to 5 men, a woman, and a minor. He then recognized one of the people in the group as Jessie Escobar, his cousin. The officer says that the men had beer pints in their hands, and they had their face masks below the mouth area. According to the officer, they weren't wearing their masks properly.
The officer says that he confronted them about the masks and public drinking, which is an offense. The officer says that the men attempted to defy them about the mask issue, and at some point, the civilians attempted to stone them with those pints bottles.
He claims that he pulled out his firearm and attempted to fire a warning shot, but the firearm didn't go off. Video footage indicates that the gun did discharge.
The officer then goes on to claim that the civilians cursed them out for pulling the gun, and threatened that they would take the weapons away. The officer also claims that the men reached for one of the BDF soldiers' M4 carbine. He says the soldier responded and fired a single shot. He claims that he saw when Escobar fell to the ground, he went to check on him, and that's when he saw a pint bottle land near him. According to the officer, the civilians started stoning them.
Interestingly, none of that is seen on the store's video surveillance camera, which caught most of the dispute on tape. So, we did a frame-by-frame comparison to the officer's account, and here's that story:
Officers appear to be speaking with a group of men and a woman.
36 seconds after the video begins an indecipherable exchange occurs, after which, one of the officers says "weh you seh now? I wah wop out uno lee (EXPLETIVE)" and motions with a long object, probably a baton, as though he's prepared to swing it.
At this point one of the officers takes a step back and brings a rifle from its resting position behind his back and cocks it. So far none of the men to whom the officers are speaking appear belligerent or violent.
Jessie Escobar enters the frame, apparently he was inside the store until now, at 45 seconds.
Shortly after, the officer who had previously threathened the men with the baton, fires a shot into the air and orders "move from (EXPLETIVE) ya." and hits one of the men in the face with the baton. It's at this point that the men begin advancing towards the officers.
The men to whom the officers were speaking now tell the officers not to push them, "No di push no body" with one saying, "noh di fucking push no…woman"
The exchange becomes heated, Jessie Escobar steps towards the officer with the rifle, with both hands to his side and no attempt to grab the gun,
One officer shoots a shot into the ground near Escobar's feet and it appears that, SIMULTANEOUSLY the officer with the rifle fired directly at Escobar's chest.
Jessie Escobar falls to the ground and one of the officer's exclaims "move from (EXPLETIVE) ya! Next Boxer, Next Boxer!"
"No di advance into me at all, good"
At 7:18, the officers order the shop to close. and order the remaining people to the ground.
