And in crime news, the Commissioner of Police has ordered an internal and criminal investigation into one of his officers who reportedly shot a man in Punta Gorda Town. The incident occurred on Mahogany Street on Saturday night after police received reports of two men with firearms. Today the police press officer, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, gave us the details of the events leading up to the shooting.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department
"Andy Alvarez was seen on a motorbike right after police received information about two men dressed with hoodie shirts on motorbikes, brandishing firearms. The police that were on patrol in that area made an attempt to stop Mr. Alvarez; he then attempted to flee away on a motorbike, but the motorbike shut down on him and when he was approached by the officers, he pulled out a firearm from his waist. The officers say that when they were advancing towards him, he was moving backwards towards some nearby bushes. One of the officers, fearing for her life instructed Mr. Alvarez to drop the gun and she fired a single shot that caused an injury to Mr. Alvarez's left shoulder. He was transported to the Punta Gorda Hospital and later to the Southern Regional Hospital where he is still receiving treatment. Our investigators visited that scene where they recovered a Smith and Wesson brand firearm, a nine millimetre actually without serial number, and it had a magazine with eight live rounds of ammunition. The officer's firearm was also taken as an exhibit, because we know that pending the investigation, the outcome of that investigation, we will know whether or not that officer will be levelled any changes whether internally or otherwise."
