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Man Dies Days after Being Shot By Customs Officer
Mon, August 21, 2017
Dwayne Almendarez was shot by a customs officer last week in a violent confrontation in Yo Creek Village last week. He died from his injuries on Saturday.

As we first reported six days ago, The Customs Department and the BDF were conducting a joint search on a bus travelling from Santa Cruz to Orange Walk Town along the Yo Creek road. During the search, the passengers on the bus began to argue with the officers, leading to the bus being evacuated. The confrontation continued onto the road and things continued to escalate until one of the officers retaliated, firing several gunshots, four of which hit Dwayne Almendarez. Residents along the Yo Creek Road managed to capture some footage of the altercation, and we've pieced together what we could about the events leading up to shooting...

Alex Courtenay reporting
In the cell phone footage taken from a Yo Creek resident, Almendarez, the man with dreadlocks in the grey undershirt, can be seen arguing with the authorities along with several other men. Before the situation gets out of hand, he is talked down and pushed away by a few civilians.

He returns a few seconds later, this time wearing a red tshirt. Things get physical this time as Almendarez pushes away an officer who is trying to hold him back. He disappears behind the bus, and after another few seconds resists being pushed into the law enforcement pickup.

Almendarez was shot not long after that altercation. We cannot say for sure what happened, but the residents managed to capture footage of the customs and BDF officers leaving the scene.

Several residents chase after the pickup, and return as the police arrive on the scene less than a minute later and rush into the house where we believe Almendarez was being attended to.

Almendarez was transported to the hospital where he received surgery, and was put into a medically induced coma. He was later taken to KHMH for further treatment, but succumbed to his injuries on Saturday. Today we spoke to Almendarez's wife off camera, about what happened and what police have told her about the investigation so far...

Alex Courtenay, reporter
"The doctors they weren't able to tell you exactly what was the cause of death?"

Voice of: Victoria Novelo, Wife of Deceased
"No. They didn't tell us, until tomorrow because tomorrow they will do the post mortem. So I think they will tell us tomorrow."

Alex Courtenay, reporter
"In terms of the investigation so far, has the police given you any kind of update as to where they are in their investigation?"

Voice of: Victoria Novelo, Wife of Deceased
"Every time we go there they still say that they are investigating the case and up to now they haven't told us anything. I got some videos, I don't know if that could help. I just want justice for my husband."

"I think every time as usual, they never do justice for poor people and I know that the police are not doing their job - they are not investigating well."

Almendarez's family is currently waiting for a post mortem to be conducted to find out exactly what went wrong.

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