And from that scandal to a recap of the weekend's news. Considering all the drinking and wild revelry that happened, we're glad to report that no one was killed. But that doesn't mean there wasn't violence - in fact, there was quite a bit. The most disturbing case is one involving a BDF Corporal who was beaten unconscious by police officers.
Now, usually, these lawmen work together, but Cayo police say when they responded to a disturbance at Blue Angels Club on Sunday morning at 3:45 am, they found 27 year old BDF Corporal Keith Pinnix "without shirt, screaming and shaking the metal gate to the entrance of Blue Angels Night Club on Hudson Street, San Ignacio Town." Pinnix had apparently left a bag with important personal documents in the club and they didn't want to let him back in to get it. Police say they told him to conduct himself appropriately but he continued. They then put him under arrest for disorderly conduct. That's when the cops say Pinnix punched a police officer, knocking him off his feet. They say Pinnix launched another attack, throwing several punches. Police say they had no choice but to respond with force, clubbing Pinnix with the baton. They hit him so hard that they allegedly broke the baton in the process.
Pinnix was reportedly knocked unconscious and dragged off to the police station. He eventually had to be taken to the KHMH due to the seriousness of his injuries. Pinnix was charged for Aggravated Assault, and Disorderly Conduct, among other charges and the police officer's injuries were classified as Wounding. Police say Pinnix only received a cut wound to the side of the head - but today when we met him at the Price Barracks compound, he had a quite different story. Here's what he told Monica Bodden:
Cpl. Keith Pinnix
"It was early Sunday morning about 1:30 - 2:00 as I think I can recall. I was upstairs at the Blue Angels Nightclub. There was a small altercation upstairs. I left upstairs and went downstairs. I was standing in front of the building with my cousin when the mobile came. A couple of police officers were in it and they advance to me aggressively. I did the best I could trying not to get hit as much and that was the issue."
"After a while I was hot a couple of times with a baton to the head. I tried to protect myself a little bit. After that I remembered passing out and then I was dragged at the back of the pick-up truck and I was taken over to the police station where I was left on the floor."
"I don't know if they were planning to render any assistance at that time. After that I don't recall much."
Monica Bodden
"At any point, can you recall stating to these officers that you are an officer yourself?"
Cpl. Keith Pinnix
"Yes I did. From the beginning I mentioned to them that I am soldier of the Belize Defence Force, a corporal to be exact. But apparently that didn't matter to them."
Monica Bodden
"Were you beaten inside or outside the establishment?"
Cpl. Keith Pinnix
"It was outside, downstairs in front of the establishment."
Monica Bodden
"I understand as well that you had forgotten something inside Blue Angels."
Cpl. Keith Pinnix
"I cannot recall anything at this time. I was up there and I had my phone and my wallet of me, but I cannot recall where they are at this time."
Monica Bodden
"What are your injuries like? How are you doing at this time?"
Cpl. Keith Pinnix
"So far I am doing okay. The doctors mentioned that everything else is alright, but a couple of bruises like a contusion to the face, hand and got a hit in the head and some small lacerations."
Lt. Col. Raymond Sheppard - Chief of Staff - Belize Defence Force
"I understand that Corporal Pinnix was socializing at the Blue Angel's Nightclub in San Ignacio and he got into an altercation with another person there and he left the nightclub and went downstairs and the police were apparently called in. He is stating that when the police came they did not ask any question, they just started to beat him."
"He ended up with a burst head and a sprain finger. He was beaten to a state of unconsiousness. He was taken to the police station and claiming that after an hour passed they took him to the San Ignacio Hospital and the he was transferred from there to KHMH and was released at about 4pm yesterday evening."
Monica Bodden
"I am sure that you guys have been in contact with the police with reference to the incident. How has this investigation been going?"
Lt. Col. Raymond Sheppard
"It's going fairly well. We have our team down in San Ignacio conducting investigation with the police. This incident does not affect the professional relationship between the Belize Defence and the police. We will continue to work shoulder to shoulder in one common cause to make Belize a safer place to all Belizeans."
And while the incident is being investigated by both Police and the Belize Defense Force, Pinnix plans on taking legal action against the Police Department.
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