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And while police are now investigating whether the police acted properly in chasing down the two men - the family and the community continue to grieve the loss of another young resident to police actions.
The families of Jesus Sacul and Jairo Guerra held a candlelight vigil last night in Orange Walk town, at the corner of the San Martin Gas station, right where police ran them down on Monday night. Jomarie Lanza reports.
A community in mourning, huddled together at the crash site last night where the lives of Jesus Sacul and Jairo Guerra changed forever, after they were chased down, run over and and reportedly beaten by Orange Walk police.
While Sacul did not survive, Guerra is still fighting for his life in the hospital as their families
continue to search for witnesses willing to speak up on what they saw during the chaos.
The family believes that police shot Sacul:
Reporter:
"Did you see Jesus when he got to the hospital"
Eduardo Gonzalez, Cousin of Deceased
"I saw him in the bed giving his last. I heard him the moment he screamed out that he can't bear it anymore. I saw everything."
Reporter:
"As the voice of the family, what is your position? Do you really think that he was suffering from gunshot wounds?"
Eduardo Gonzalez, Cousin of Deceased
"Yes i think so because all the neighbours are saying that they heard over 4 shots in this area. And the neighbours by the gasoline station, there is a guy who is saying that he heard 2 shots, 2 or four that's what he said."
Gonzalez also claims that police were hostile and belligerent when he went to inquire about his cousins.
Reporter:
"What happened when you went to the police station? "
Eduardo Gonzalez, Cousin of Deceased
"When I got there I was asking the officer who was bringing in the vehicle, where my cousins are, I want to know where they are. The manner in which he answered me was not it, he shouldn't have answered me in that way. He told me " So you want to get shot too then" and I told him I just want to know where my cousins are. Then he told me " well if you are a doctor then go see your patient at the hospital" and so i just left because after that he asked me if i wanted to get locked up as well. I got on my motorcycle and left. I went to the hospital to see. And i think he had no right to answer me in that way."
According to the commissioner of police, from what he was told no shots were fired. He has now directed that a criminal investigation be launched into the fatality.
Among the elements of concern is whether police did fire on them, and where the police mobile was positioned during the chase. The motorcycle crashed into the fender of the mobile, which means they were alongside each other.
and according to the police policies and procedures manual, this is strictly prohibited. It says, "at no time should the officer pull alongside the other vehicle momentarily to signal the driver to pullover."
And if the chase was initiated to investigate this air pistol the pair allegedly carried, then the question of proportionality also arises.
Many nagging questions, which major crimes investigators will now be seeking answers for.
As noted in the story, there is now a serious police investigation underway. Police are now investigating credible reports that the police fired at least two warning shots at the men on motorcycle - about a half mile before the crash. Police investigators are now seeking witnesses to corroborate this.
Also, they are questioning whether the gun allegedly found by police at the scene was really being carried by either of the victims - since - as we have shown you - it is a worthless piece of plastic - the remains of an air pistol.
