And while the BDF is dealing with indiscipline, so is the Coast Guard.
As we have been reporting, 24 year old Shakeem Rashad Richards is the Guardsman caught on camera slapping up two police officers. It happened on Saturday night and he was arraigned yesterday afternoon in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on two counts of assaulting a police officer and one count of threatening words.
Richards pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
But how does his commander feel about it? We asked him today:
Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant at Belize Coast Guard
"The police investigation will determine exactly what occurred there. And if he is found guilty, as any member of the Coast Guard, if they were to be found guilty in any criminal act, they could be dismissed from the service."
"As relates to what will do internally, because he is charged, he will be placed on interdiction until his criminal case is completed."
Jules Vasquez
"He has two criminal cases now. He had previously been charged for a robbery."
Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant at Belize Coast Guard
"Yes, and that is in the process of a recommendation for disciplinary action against him."
Jules Vasquez
"But innocent until proven guilty."
Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant at Belize Coast Guard
"Yes, so we can only administer discipline to a certain extent based on the Coast Guard regulations. The full extent of, for example, to be dismissed from the service for an offense that occurred off the job would be dependent on the outcome of the criminal case. He was recommended for a disciplinary procedure and that is in the pipeline. Again, that has been submitted and we are waiting confirmation on what extent of discipline would be applied on him."
Jules Vasquez
"On general principles, if he was struck first, is his retaliation justifiable in any way? If he had been struck?"
Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant at Belize Coast Guard
"You have to ask the judges in that regard and the judge will have to look at the evidence presented. I for one certainly would not condone any physical conflict especially with the police."
"Those police officers were in uniform. You should have respected their position and the duty that they are involved with in terms of providing security for that event. So I believe, I was not there and I believe that he could have perhaps hopefully avoided that situation."
