And turning back to Belize City gang related crime...
Yesterday we shared with you the details on Michael Usher's Monday night murder. The public was outraged at the police's apparent lack of urgency in rushing the dying victim to the hospital. While Usher's mother believes her son could have lived if he was moved sooner, we asked the compol what he would have done in this situation - and he discussed the perplexing issue of what police should do in these life and death situations.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I am a bit disturbed because of the comments from Channel 7. I watched the Sun Up show this morning and your two hosts alluded to the fact that the young man died because the police did not took him to the hospital, which I believe is very, very unfair."
"The murderer is let off the hook and the police, who tried their best daily to keep us safe, are the ones who are now being blamed for the murder. But I guess that is what sells the negativity against the police."
"In this particular instance, the ambulance had been called and the ambulance was on its way to the location. I believe that is the reason why the police did not move the person, because the ambulance was already on its way."
"We have had instances where we would transport the person or persons to hospital, where it is a long distance and the ambulance would take a very long time to come. The ambulance and the police would then meet along the way and then the police would transfer the injured person to the ambulance and then the ambulance carried the person forward."
"My thing is, it is damned if you do and damned if you don't. If the police had picked up the young man and took him to the hospital and he died along the way, then you would have heard that the police caused his death still."
"So there is nothing that we could have done that would have avoided us from getting the blame."
Jules Vasquez
"If you were at that crime scene on Monday night, what would a young Chester Williams have done?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I would have taken him to the hospital."
