Last week, we received word of a case of alleged police brutality of in San Antonio, Toledo. Now, we get stories like this all the time here in the city, but this one is from a southern village, and what makes is serious is that it's not just one person alleging police brutality; it's an entire family.
The Sho family mailed a letter to our newsroom last week, and when we couldn't respond to them because they had no contact number, they came all the way to Belize City to speak to us.
According to the family, a police officer barged into their home and brutalized them. This very same cop has since charged them with serious criminal offenses, and they say that he did this to cover up his brutish, outlaw behavior.
It's a very serious allegation, for which they provided medical forms which proved that they received injuries, which they say the officer inflicted.
We've decided to use this officer's name because he is the one who has brought all the charges against 4 members of the family, and it's his name that appears on all the charge sheets.
Here's how they explained the entire ordeal today:
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The Elders of the family, Emiliano and Casalina Sho, sat with us and recounted their feelings of blatant disrespect and disregard for their rights as citizens. Their description of the entire ordeal may seem dramatic, but trust us; this is no laughing matter.
Casalina Sho was the first up, and she explained Officer Rodriguez's initial, explosive contact with her family members. She struggled to put words to her distress and rage at the situation, but here's how she explained it:
Casalina Sho - Family Claims brutality
"This incident happened on the Thursday, 3rd of May at 2pm. My son's wife took the police into my son house. The police officer did not come with a warrant for my son."
"The officer told my son that he will kill him. He kicked my son and choked him and put him on the ground and told him that he will kill him. The officer took out his pistol and pointed it at my son saying that he will kill hm. "
"When I saw what was happening I started to scream, I told the officer please don't do that, don't kill my son. The officer kicked me in my stomach and he said that he will shoot all of us in the house. He fired a shot in the house. I scream at him telling him not to do that; "please don't do that P, please left my son alone." That is what I told him."
"He told us again that he will shoot all of us."
And if you notice, Sho began to drift out of our frame while she relived the abuse. And it's at that point where we had to ask her to sit back down and explain as best she can what happened next.
She then continued on describing how each of her 3 other sons tried to intervene in a respectful manner on their brother, William Sho's, behalf. According to her, this seemed only to enrage Officer Rodriguez even further.
Casalina Sho - Family Claims brutality
"So now I am screaming, my other son Solomon Sho reached and saw what was happening. When the police saw him he came towards my son and hit him in the head with his pistol. He fell to the floor bleeding from his head and unconscious for 5 minutes."
"My other Emeterio Sho reached and saw what was happening. The same police officer hit him also in the head. He fell to the ground."
"My next Placido Sho arrived. He told the police officer to stop doing that. He said that he is the oldest son, 'please stop beating brother,' that was what he said to the police. When the police heard that he kicked my son in the belly. My son stopped talking to him and went to call the police."
And a lot of help that did them… and in the meantime, the police officer continued his calculated assault on the remaining family members. According to Mrs. Sho, her neighbors started to arrive, which gave them plenty of witnesses.
When the officer sobered up and finally left their home, he apparently went and concocted an entirely different version of the incident. And of course, He had to provide a version to counter the pending report that this whole family would make against them.
As a result, 4 of the family members were criminally charged with very serious offenses like, harm to a police, attempted theft of a firearm, obstruction, aggravated assault with the police officer's service weapon, assaulting a police officer, and resisting lawful arrest. All of the charges are sworn by this same exact police officer who this family says assaulted them.
One of sons, Solomon Sho, is at the Belize Central Prison right now, and as you would expect, the family is not very happy about it.
Casalina Sho - Family Claims brutality
"Why is the police telling lies about my son Solomon Sho - that he took the pistol from him. That is what the police said, but that is not true. Totally not true. I believe because he hurt my son in the head that's why has twisted the story."
"We don't like what this police officer did to us. He committed a crime in our house. It is not my son who committed a crime on him. It is he the police who committed a crime on us."
"I need justice for me and all my children. I don't like what the police did to us. So now I am seeking help for my son who is in jail because of the lies that the police officer says."
"I want my son to be release. I don't want my son to be in that jail."
The patriarch of the family, Emiliano Sho, told us that he will not let this matter rest because this officer has brutalized his family, and the department is covering up by pressing these charges.
Emiliano Sho
"We spoke to the police but they will not listen to us because you see they trust their own. But their officers are totally crooked. They are abusing us and don't want to hear us."
"Don't we have a right to speak for our rights? We have a right to speak. I hope that the commissioner of police is listening to what we are saying so that they could look into this matter."
"I need my son to be release and I will continue to fight this battle because the police should know their job and investigate this matter."
This evening, we contacted Police Press Officer, Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, who told us that he was having difficulty reaching the commanding officer from the San Antonio Police Station. He did assure us, however, that he is looking into this matter seriously, since the family has filed their report at the IAD Office.
The family also told us that they are seeking legal counsel on how they can fight this battle against the police officer.
Email
Print