Prominent gang figure Tyrone Meighan was killed on Saturday. Tonight, the police department remains on very high alert to try and avert any retaliation.
Today we got perspective on the murder formChester Williams who has always been criticized for his close relationship with the Meighan brothers - particularly when he was Southside commander in 2016.
Here's what he said:
Jules Vasquez
"Eena di streets they say you and the Meighan brothers have a special relationship."
"What did you feel when you heard of the murder of Tyrone Mieighan?"
Chester Williams, Former Compol
"May I make it categorically and emphatically clear, I favored none of the groups in this city. I worked with every one of them the same way."
Except the record shows he kind of didn't - back in 2016 - he went against his own colleague, then GSU commander Marco Vidal after they had a clash with the Meighan brothers
posted (August 29, 2016)
ACP Chester Williams, Regional Commander, Eastern Division South
"Well I would want to agree with you that I do not think that the force used by GSU was necessary and I have made that clear to them and as a police department, these are the things we are trying to rid ourselves of. We cannot be out there under one hand saying that we want to be friends with the community and then on the other hand we have other elements of the department going after people in such an aggressive manner, basically destroying all the work that we have been doing on the Southside Belize City."
Tyrone Meighan
"Well last night what transpired was a total mayhem and destruction from the professional unit, the GSU again beating us and shooting us this time."
"They took me up the road to 3 miles putting gun in my face. Any day when I get up out here I know it's a threat, so I'm ready for a gunman any day out here. So when they told me that they're going to kill me I'm already tired of hearing about killing. You have to get in the line GSU, there's a thousand other people in the line."
No funeral date has yet been announced for Tyrone Meighan - but it is sure to be an event closely watched by police. His elder brother Ellis is expected to be deported from the US to Belize shortly where he is wanted for questioning in connection with a murder on the Placencia peninsula.
