Click here to print
Guild Says Not Guilty
Fri, September 12, 2014
Last night, we told you about the arraignment of Patrick Guild, the man who police accused of behaving lawlessly at a traffic stop on Mahogany Street on The 10th Celebration.

He was charged with assaulting a police officer, using insulting words, obstruction, and resisting arrest. According to the officers who asked him for his license and other documents for the vehicle, he handed it over, and then because they were taking too long, he got angry and tried to leave. They say that he grabbed his documents back from the officer, arrogantly asked them if they didn't know who he was, and tried to drive away. Allegedly, in the process, he brushed one of the officers, and that's why he was charged with assaulting a police officer.

Well today, Guild, who is out on bail, called us out to say that the entire police version is fictional and untrue, made up to try and ruin his reputation.

Today, he spoke with us to give us his version of the events. He said that on that day, he was on his way to the Airport in his van, which is licensed, but the Belize City Council is currently out of licence plates. He said that he was driving with the vehicle which had no plates, but with the receipts and other important travel documents to show that he is obeying the traffic laws. According to Guild, on that morning, he passed by the Mahogany Street Precinct, and a woman officer stepped out and flagged him down, and that's when he encountered the officers. He explained what happened next:

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"I stopped. License, I went in my wallet and gave her the license and she says that the vehicle doesn't have on any plates. I said yes the vehicle doesn't have any plates, but the vehicle is licensed and everything is straight on the vehicle - just like that. She proceeded on to the back of the vehicle with my license and the receipt in her hands because at this time I had already gave her the receipt too for the license. She came from the back and went to the front, buy while going to the back I did said to her "ma'am, you don't have to go at the back, no plates on this vehicle," she came back up front, she said nothing up to that point. She went across the street back to the other officer and that's when I said to her "ma'am, you have everything in your hands right there. You have everything that you need, its right in your hands.""

Daniel Ortiz
"Why didn't you have plates?"

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"I didn't have plates. Up to this morning I went to City Council again and they said that they have a problem even with my plates. I was supposed to have gotten my plates already. They said they have an error, but the young lady at the office told me to come back next week Monday and check back with her."

Daniel Ortiz
"But your vehicle is licensed?"

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"My vehicle is has been licensed for over two months and I don't have any plates. City Council doesn't have any plates, but I have the receipt with the signature on the back saying that the vehicle is license and insured."

Daniel Ortiz
"But then the officer wasn't listening to you."

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"No. Because of my mouth and the way that I talk, because I am very loud. When she responded to me saying 'you don't tell me how to do my job,' I said I am not telling you how to do your job, I am just late and I need to get to the airport basically. But I was a little loud too - straight talk. The officer said 'in fact pull over the vehicle,' I said "pull over the vehicle for what?" Then another female officer was coming and I notice she has two stripes, she came out of the office and came across the street and when I was about to move the vehicle, because the officer said pull over. The next officer said 'out of the vehicle,' I said "get out the vehicle for what?" - Straight, just like that and that's when she reached in and try to shut down my vehicle to get out my keys above me. So my two hands are under her on the steering wheel. I look at her and I said "babes, you are looking to hurt yourself and hurt me." At this time the vehicle did roll about 1 foot or two. The vehicle did roll and I catch it back with the brakes, but it's because of her action that made the vehicle roll a bit. If I wanted to hurt somebody or do somebody something that would have been the time to just let go the vehicle and let the vehicle do whatever it want. It would have been because of her."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, the officers said that you assaulted a female officer. Did that happened?"

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"That did not happen. There was a male officer on the passenger side with a gun."

Daniel Ortiz
"Pointing at you?"

Patrick Guild - Claims Police Harassment
"I could see his gun on his side. He has a gun at the passenger window for my vehicle. There is another male officer right beside the "W" - am I stupid to assault or to do any of the "W" - touch any of the "W" any wrong way with two men with guns right there? Am I stupid? It's the way that the officers approach civilians or Belizeans. Their approach is always wrong. They take away your rights the way that came. If they tell you this pencil is green and you see it as blue - it doesn't make a difference, it is green and that is that. They are the officer and they have on their uniforms and we are supposed to respect, but they are not respecting their uniform."

Guild says that the officers threatened to bring as many charges as they possibly could against him out of malice simply because he was telling them that they were violating his rights. He said that he mentioned that will report them another high ranking officer, and that's when the officers became enraged, accusing him of trying to use his connections of that officer to try to intimidate them into releasing him without any charges. Finally, he told us that he did not, at any time, try to do intimidate those officers in the manner that they are accusing him of doing.

Still, even though that's Guild's version of events in the court of public opinion, he now has to win his case in Magistrate's Court, which has been adjourned until November 6.

Close this window