A 37-year-old mentally ill man who allegedly tried to attack a woman police constable with a blade has been charged with aggravated assault. It happened yesterday at a bus stop in Belize City when Constable Alleya Wade observed a shirtless man named Haral Palma holding an object resembling a blade and pushing it towards bystanders. She approached him, and he allegedly pulled the blade, verbally abused her, and threatened violence. PC Wade reported that attempts to disarm Palma resulted in him becoming aggressive and disorderly, forcing her to use her government-issued firearm to retrieve the weapon. Palma was then escorted to Precinct One Police Station, where he was formally charged.
He remains in police custody after his court appearance was delayed when he was found nude in his cell and could not be escorted to court. He will now appear in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on Friday, January 2.
