What would you do if someone stole your cell phone from right before your eyes? What lengths would you go to to get it back?
Well, tonight Belize Water Services Limited is saying that one of its Belize City employees went too far when he used a company truck to run down and railroad the thief who'd nicked his phone.
Yesterday afternoon, the 36 year old BWS employee pulled up at a mechanic shop on Faber Road and left his cell phone on the hood of the company pickup.
Well, that was the biggest mistake he made, because by the time he looked around, the phone was gone and he saw a young man hightailing it down Faber's Road on bicycle.
So, he did what most of us would do if we saw a thief escaping with our property - set chase - except he did it in a company vehicle. But what he did next, well, let's just say, don't ty this at home. Cherisse Halsall picks up the story with security video:
The surveillance video shows the BWS Isuzu D-Max racing down Louise Bevans street and then suddenly lurching onto the shoulder of the street and forcing the young man on the bicycle into the drain, followed by the pickup - which then jams him against the fence.
Somehow he escapes unhurt and comes out near the back of the vehicle where the BWS employee starts punching him three times and then as the boy runs away, his co-worker recovers his stolen phone from where it was thrown in the yard adjoining the point of impact.
After that, the young man, still shaken up is left to ride off on his bicycle, while the BWS truck got bogged in the drain and had to call a backhoe to get them out. But, he did get back his phone, a Samsung A-11.
In a statement today BWS says, quote:
"It does not condone or support violence of any nature. Employees of BWS are expected to comport themselves in a dignified and respectful manner that is reflective of the company's core value of service to the Belizean public. BWS unequivocally states that the video clearly does not pertain to any official business relating to BWS." End quote.
The company says that an internal investigation into their employee's behavior has been launched and that the incident is set to be addressed immediately. The BWS employee told police the phone was valued at $600 dollars and he had owned it for a year.
