Two days after the killing of 19 year old Kevin Depaz, the public is still demanding transparency and accountability from the police department. That's because Depaz was allegedly stabbed by an off duty officer who was intervening after the teenager and his friends got into a fight with another man.
However, there are questions as to whether the cops acted as officers of the law should. One of the young men who was stabbed got a serious cut to his neck - which could have also been fatal for him. Villagers say police inflicted this wound and want them to be charged with attempted murder for it.
However, in this press release by the Caye Caulker Village Council, alleges that there has been growing violence and abuse of authority by local officers on the island - particularly towards the youth.
An example is contained in this video which shows two officers detaining a young man on a golf cart. According to reports, it happened on June 27th when the driver didn't have a driver's license. Police reports state that the drive fled the scene, after which the officers pursued him. The cops say he started cursing them and that's when they detained him - using a suppression chokehold - while they were handcuffing him. And after the chokehold, one of the officers punched him across the face.
In the council's release, they emphasize the need for police to focus on de-escalation as opposed to fighting violence with violence. It states, quote, "We feel that it is a point of obvious consideration, that not every citizen will be well behaved and not every citizen will have the capacity to conduct themselves in a manner that an officer may find respectful. Protecting a community involves knowing and understanding that those in a community may break laws, but anyone breaking a law does not automatically lose their right to life, safety, and security. The punishment for crimes is loss of freedom in our country, not brutality." End quote.
The release ends by saying, quote, "The Village Council has received multiple reports of officers conducting themselves in a manner no different than bullies, gang members, and thugs. They do not deserve our trust, and some of them only offer discredit to a uniform that should be held to a higher standard." End quote.
