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Inspector Speaks Skeptically Of Police’s Role In Relative’s Murder
posted (September 11, 2013)
The investigation into the shooting death of Police Constable Dean Yearwood is moving at quite a different pace. First off it's not a murder investigation; as we reported, 24 year old Constable Yearwood was shot by another Constable, 32 year old Glenn Grant. Off duty Yearwood was firing at a man who just tried to rob him; Grant happened on the scene and let off at least 11 shots, one of them hitting Yearwood in the back and killing him. Police say Grant, who worked in another precinct did not know Yearwood, and did not know he was a policeman pursuing a robber.

The circumstances of the shooting, which are at best, dubious, have left a bitter taste in the mouths of Yearwood's family – who say their loved one was "chanced out of his life." One of those prominent family members is Police Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood – the uncle of the deceased. Unlike his nephew, Yearwood has many years in the department – and this morning he called in to KREM WUB on another matter, and made a surprisingly skeptical statement on the ongoing investigation. He started out by saying that when his nephew was taken to the morgue, he should not have been a John Doe:…

Voice of: Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood - Called into KREM WUB
"I am deeply saddened by the situation that took place with my cousin on Sunday morning. When I arrived on the scene - the body was already removed but I can assure you that we officers that were on the scene got his identity and I do not know who was negligent to not have returned to the morgue and not made the proper entry. Even if they couldn't identify him on the scene, when I got on the scene, we identified who it was so they should have gone back to the morgue and make that entry. I will not go into any details because I was working earlier that night and I observed certain things and I will discuss that with the officer in charge of the investigation but in all honesty I believe that we will get justice, well I'm hoping and I'm praying."

KREM
"When you say you will get justice - it seems as though you don't believe that this was a matter of just something that was sad and tragic. I have to ask is something there that you don't believe?"

Voice of: Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood
"I will leave with this - Belize is very small and people were at that scene when I arrived at that night and they were saying certain things to me because of my title. I encouraged them to go in and give their statements, based on what I heard out there - I will reserve my opinion until I hear the outcome of the investigation. I am not going against my department and I am not going against my family - I am standing directly in between and I am waiting to hear what will be the outcome."

KREM
"From your personal knowledge - did these officers know each other?"

Voice of: Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood
"There are some officers that passed out in April, I am a 17 year old veteran in this department and I make sure that I get to know new officers, whether they are detectives or uniform police and if we work in the same division - I don't see how you can say that you don't know each other - that's all I am saying."

Inspector Yearwood ended by saying he believes the should have known each other, but could not confirm that they did.

As for the alleged robber, Brian Vasquez who was shot in the back – police still have not said who shot him; whether it was Yearwood, who had a 38 revolver or Grant who had a nine millimeter pistol.

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