This morning, all of Belize woke to a shudder when news went out that police had done the unthinkable: they left a 20 year old detainee for 13 and a half hours in a hot and airless prisoner van to die.
Derrick Uh was at the Fiesta De San Joaquin early Sunday morning when he was detained for disorderly conduct. It turned out to be a terminal detention, because police left him in the prisoner van to expire; he was found dead on Sunday afternoon by another cop who went to fuel up the van.
How could police have failed so fundamentally in their duty of care?; how do you even forget a whole human being in a prisoner van? Was it the ultimate act of negligence, was it some deliberate, sadistic punishment?
We've been probing for answers all day - and Cherisse Halsall reports from Uh's home village of Cristo Rey:
This is the van in which 20-year-old Derrick Uh was made to swelter in for 13 hours, and eventually expire.
His death over the weekend is an unspeakable tragedy for his mother, siblings, and his somewhat estranged father Ramiro Uh, who, this morning, spoke to us with tears in his eyes, still trying to come to terms with the loss of his son.
Ramiro Uh, Father of the deceased
"He was a good person. He went to Corozal and did something then he came back and I don't know what happened with him. He went to the festival and didn't come back."
"The police called me and called his mom and they said we want the social for Derrick [unintelligible] also the police say I don't know what happened to him the police didn't want to say anything but just I want justice for him that sort of thing isn't good."
Cherisse Halsall:
"The police have said that they. detained Derek and put him in the car and that he was. in the car for 13 1/2 hours the windows, didn't come down, there was no water, no food, how do you feel about the cruel manner in which your son was treated?"
Ramiro Uh, Father of the deceased
"That is bad and that I think the police didn't do their work and they don't want too much."
And that family tragedy seems to be most deeply felt by Ramiro's twin sister Shanelly. This morning she tool to social media posting a heartbreaking statement. It starts with the hashtag #JusticeforDerrick and goes on to say, quote:
My little brother was just a young man full of life. I know sometimes he was in problems but he just never did something that bad to deserve to be killed that way. If he did something wrong why they didn't report he and just put him in jail and let us know. Where is CHESTER and where is our PRIME MINISTER to all things happening? In fact Police are supposed to protect us not to do this things. We pay them and this is just heartless to tell us that supposingly "we forgot about him". My brother suffered and he even took off his clothes and was trying to survive. HE WAS LEFT THERE WORST THAN AN ANIMAL With what excuse they will come now?????I don't wish this on anyone but we need justice..."
And since morning there have been calls for justice not just from the family but also the National student Union, the Young Leaders Alliance of Belize, the UDP, and the Prime Minister's office.
Those difficult questions were all directed at Commissioner of Police Chester Williams this morning.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"From what I was briefed was that the officers were working the San Joaquin Fiesta Saturday night, during which they had detained a young man who apparently was under the influence. You know San Joaquin does not have a police station and so there is no detention cell. So what they did was to put him in the back of the prison van. Now those of you who know the prison van, the back of those vans are sealed and it does require the engine to be running for there to be ventilation in the portion where prisoners are normally kept. And so while they were at the grounds, the van was on and so there was ventilation. Apparently, after the event was over, the van was taken to the Corozal police station, where it was parked and somehow, based on what I am told, I was not there, but based on what I was told was that the officers may have forgotten that they had the young man in the back of the vehicle. Yesterday evening when the driver of the van who normally takes the van to prison went to service the van to make sure it was road worthy for today, he discovered the lifeless body in the back. It was taken to the Corozal Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Since then I have directed a criminal and an internal investigation into the matter."
But that explanation might sound strictly procedural to people who feel they know better. People like this woman who witnessed Derrick's detention at the fair. Out of an abundance of caution, she asked to speak of camera and to have her voice distorted.
Voice Of: Eyewitness
"I think those police officers really didn't want to be out here, really. really and truly. Some of them were complaining that they shouldn't have been here working and they didn't want to be here so from there you do your conclusions on what you think when they have to put you to work when you should be on off."
"They were frustrated any little thing triggered them to just go after somebody. They just. picked up the boy. That night it was just one person that they put in the back. I can't tell you that it was him because we didn't see a fce direct but there was a man and they put him behind the van. And it wasn't just one officer it was more than one officer because they don't walk by themselves, alright it was by twos, by fours, by six you see them around so that is just negligence."
"The way how they do things wasn't professional a lot of things weren't professional with them. I really can't say where he touched the female the allegations that he. touched the female. That was wrong of him, yes but you know I think there are ways that we can deal with certain stuff and I don't think that. I think that police, some police don't really need to agitate them or get them upset because they are already upset."
Cherisse Halsall:
"You say the young man was drinking at a bar was he very intoxicated?"
Voice Of: Eyewitness
"No, he was high where we saw him he was high not an intoxicated person when you say he was falling and going from, you know. He was still standing and walking good. I could say yes he had his drinks in him but not to that extent that you have to treat somebody the way that he was treated."
Those officers, tonight, facing the possibility of criminal charges and an avalanche of public outrage as the department continues to investigate the tragic death of Derrick Uh
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Those police officers who are responsible for placing the young man in the back of the vehicle will have to be dealt with someway or the other. A file will be prepared and sent to the DPP office for instructions and then we move forward from there."
