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Jules Vasquez reporting
The police flag was at half mast with a bow over the door at eastern division headquarters for 24 year old Constable Dean Yearwood, who was killed on Saturday morning by another police.

Police Commissioner Allen Whylie says this is the first time such a cop on cop killing has happened in his 26 years in the department:

Allen Whylie - Commissioner of Police
"It's indeed a great loss for his family as well as the Belize Police Department - he was a good officer so indeed it was a tragedy that had befallen us."

A tragic mishap between two police firing weapons they were authorized to carry. Around 1:00 on Saturday PC Yearwood - dressed in plain clothes was walking here in front of Public's Supermarket. That's when Brian Vasquez allegedly tried to rob him. The off duty Yearwood, who was carrying his police department issued .38 revolver fired at him.

PC Glenn Grant, also in plainclothes was coming off special duty and was riding a bike on that side of central American Boulvard at the same time when he came upon the scene. He said he heard shots firing and saw a struggle, which is when he fired at least 11 shots, one of them hit Yearwood and killed him.

Inspector Hilberto Romero - Lead Investigator
"Our investigations reveal so far that it was some sort of robbery that occurred at the time and this officer to that robbery that was in progress."

Allen Whylie
"He saw something occurring, he saw a robbery in progress and I guess he responded and unfortunately the result was that a fellow officer was hit and died."

The constables did not know each other, and Yearwood was taken to the morgue as a John Doe:

Allen Whylie
"I think even after the initial response of officers - they did not realize that the person who died was also an officer."

Kevin Yearwood - Uncle of Deceased Constable
"Even when they took him to the morgue, they still didn't know that this was an officer that you just killed. How can't you identify your officer that you just killed and he's a CIB? The man that killed him is from special branch - come on you must know who you killed."

Now investigators and the DPP have to figure out who was right, wrong or justified in a case where two men were shot in the back, a fact only grudgingly conceded:

Reporter
"Vasquez, where did he get shot?"

Inspector Hilberto Romero
"He was shot once in his back."

Reporter
"Yearwood, the officer that was shot - where was he shot?"

Inspector Hilberto Romero
"Yes, he received one gunshot injured to the back."

Jules Vasquez
"If someone is shot in the back - that changes the entire complexion of the matter."

Allen Whylie
"That's an issue - as I said the file will be put together and based on that the DPP will have to conclude whether or not."

Kevin Yearwood
"If you see he's chasing a man and firing shot and you don't know what happened and then you take out your 9mm gun and fire and you shoot so much rounds out there and you shot him in his back. He was defenseless, he was running and had his back turned to the police man - his back was turned - he got shot back way and the bullet exited out."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you feel they chanced him?"

Kevin Yearwood
"Why didn't they shoot him in the foot, why shoot him in the back?"

The other question is whether the apparently indiscriminate use of deadly force was justified and proportional:

Reporter
"Was the use of force or proportion justifiable - when Mr. Grant comes on the scene and sees shots firing?"

Allen Whylie
"Whether or not justified - the investigation is ongoing and I said the file will be sent to the DPP and they will decide whether or not Grant's action was justified. There is no one situation where you can say - if this occurs, this is what should be done. Make judgment based on the situation they are facing and so whilst we do training and there's definitely the need for more training - we will be looking at correcting that and the individual officers out there based on what they see then they react and try to react proportionally. Each situation is different and each officer reacts differently based on what they see or what they experience on the ground. It would be wrong of me to sit here and pass judgment - all I say is that there's an impartial investigation and the contents of the file will be sent to the DPP"

But for now police say it is a criminal investigation:

Allen Whylie
"It's a criminal investigation and it's an internal investigation."

Jules Vasquez
"A criminal investigation of what type?"

Allen Whylie
"Well it's a criminal investigation because an officer died and another officer was involved in the shooting . I cannot say it's a murder because murder means pre-meditation, it was intentional - and there's nothing here to indicate that there was any intent from anybody to kill anybody."

Kevin Yearwood
"Oh it's not a murder? He calls it a criminal investigation? So he needs to go home because criminal investigation could mean anything -if someone steals a 5 cent or 10 cents - that's a criminal investigation. So my nephew's life just gone just like that? That is what he said at the press conference - that means nothing will come out of it. All they will do is just bury him and what will happen to the police man that shot him? He will just walk?"

Jules Vasquez
"Well he will receive counseling."

Kevin Yearwood
"Counselling - that's the word, no training so if he gets the break to do this again he will do it again. If the man had the gun point to him, I wouldn't even do this interview because I wouldn't have anything to say because then my nephew pointed the gun at the man but he got shot back way."

Now police have to bury one of their one, and help another cope:

Allen Whylie
"In terms of the issue of P.C. Grant - I have ordered that he be placed on administrative leave whilst the investigation is ongoing and we have also sought counseling for him through the Ministry of Health - he still has to live with the actions that took place."

Kevin Yearwood
"The police man that shot him, I won't have any grievances against him -all I'm asking him is please meet me one on one and make me understand. Meet me and talk to and tell me what happened so that I can sleep at night."

Brian Vasquez – the man accused of trying to rob Constable Yearwood remains in a critical but stable condition. His family declined comment today.

The management of Public's also turned us down when we asked to see what their security cameras picked up that night.

We note that 24 year old constable Dean Yearwood was a CIB Officer at Precinct 1 – who had recently transferred from Belmopan to Belize City. 32 year old Constable Glen Grant was a special branch officer at Precinct 2.