In crime news, yesterday, we told you that the main suspect in the murder of 40-year-old Shane Baizar was shot dead by police. Cruz Castillo had a long history with police, and yesterday the ComPol claimed he pulled out a 9 millimeter pistol when he was approached by the cops in Cotton Tree Village.
However, according to an eyewitness, that's not how it happened. At the time of his death, Castillo was talking to his cousin on a farm in the village. His cousin, who goes by "CJ" says police stormed the farm from behind and immediately started firing. He even thought he was going to die.
CJ spoke to us off camera today.
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"Yesterday when I was with my cousin it was something split second that happened, I couldn't really focus on what was happening, I could only raise my hand because they were trying to kill me so I was just telling them, don't kill me."
"When I turned around I saw soldiers with guns and I was on the ground and I had my hand up telling them to stop, don't kill me, but then they told me don't look at us and put your head on the ground. Then they stamped me in my face and they held the gun to my head and said don't move or I will kill you."
Courtney Menzies:
"What was going through your mind when all of this was happening?"
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"To be honest… up to now I still can't really think about it cause it was just fast."
Courtney Menzies:
"At what point did you realize they had shot your cousin?"
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"When I heard the shots starting then I looked his direction then I dipped that way because it was a lot of *obscenity* a lot of *obscenity*."
Courtney Menzies:
"So you're saying that the police came from behind Cruz and shot him in the back?"
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"Yes ma'am."
Courtney Menzies:
"Was he armed, did he have anything?"
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"I didn't see him with any firearm or anything like that."
Courtney Menzies:
"When he came here did he mention anything that he might have gotten himself into, any trouble?"
Voice of: CJ, Witness/Cousin of Deceased
"Yes ma'am. When he called me back there he told me, I was questioning him, why he wanted to see me. And then he told me he's on the run, and I was like, what the hell? But that's after the fact that I was already there, that wasn't long before police came so I was just there a few minutes, 1:00, 1:30, a 30 minutes."
Police say they will investigate and send the file to the DPP codetermine if any charges should be brought.
