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Family Says Cops Killed Tyson Rodriguez
posted (November 25, 2013)
A 27 year old man died in Placencia this weekend - the cops say he escaped and they found him floating in the water; while his family says the cops killed him, held his face in the sand and suffocated him - while he was in handcuffs. Two vastly different accounts but no matter which one you believe, Tyson Rodriguez is dead. If the name rings a distant bell, it should; Rodriguez was shot by police on Caye Caulker in March of 2012. But this time there was no shooting; the post mortem result says that he died of, quote, "asphyxia by bronchial aspiration of sand beach", end quote. Basically that means he suffocated on sand. The death certificate adds that he had multiple traumas to the chest - which means that he had been beaten.

Tonight we'll have both interpretations of that result, but we'll also have the back-story which is equally compelling. It starts on Thursday night with an Canadian couple who live on the Placencia Peninsula; they were robbed, and beaten on the beach, then taken to their house, tied up, the residence burglarized, and their car stolen. When police found the vehicle all the way in Corozal - 213 miles away - on Friday morning they say that Tyson Rodriguez had been driving it. He was arrested after a reported beatdown by Xaibe villagers who apprehended him. That's how he ended up back in Placencia on Friday night at 10:30 where the circumstances leading to his death are still cloudy. Daniel Ortiz went to the Peninsula today to try to get some clarity:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
This Orange house in the Plantation area of Placencia belongs to an Elderly Canadian couple. Sure, it looks quiet today, but the violence that they experienced on last Thursday night, has shaken their sense of security.

They just barely survived a vicious home invasion, which police believe was carefully planned after surveillance was done on the couple.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"Earlier that evening around 8 o' clock, three dark skinned men surprised them as the husband stood on the beach side in front of their house. They live on the beach. I think they were the victim of -- and they might have survived what could have been a murder. They might have survived I don't know whether by faith or luck or otherwise, but certainly these people had intended to kill that elderly couple. They've made all their attempts but it was expedient for them to get out of here quickly. These people were not resisting, they did not offer any resistance. That might have speared their lives."

They then stole the Canadian couple's white GMC SUV, and escaped with the stolen items. 13 and a half hours later, police spotted the stolen vehicle on the road in the Corozal District, some 200 miles away from where the home invasion happened.

Police say that 27 year-old Tyson Rodriguez was one of the 2 men spotted in the vehicle.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I proceeded to inform the Commissioner of Police first and then the entire nation by electronics means. We have this networking, so the entire country were quickly informed and alerted to be on the lookout. Through the joint effort of Customs, Police and some civilians up in Patchakan Village, the vehicle was recovered and so was the suspect Tyson Rodriguez."

"They were brought back to Placencia via Belmopan from where we picked them up and they came here."

That was all commendable police work until the Placencia investigators started questioning Rodriguez. That's where the story gets murky.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"My brief is that Rodriguez was very cooperative with the police to some point. He had offered to take the police to recovered some of the loot and he was headed by a senior non-commanding officer, a sergeant, he was placed inside the pan of the vehicle and whilst on their way to the Plantation area, my brief is that he jumped out the pan on the vehicle and ran towards the sea and stumbled (I don't know), fell in the sea and was later seen floating. The body was retrieve and taken to the Polyclinic here in the village and pronounced dead. It was later transported to the morgue in Dangriga and then to Belize City where a post mortem examination is expected to be conducted. This will determine cause of death."

The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez's sudden unexpected death has triggered a reaction from the Commissioner of Police, who wants it determined with absolute certainty how he died while in police custod.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"As a consequence to these events that lead to the death of Tyson Rodriguez the Commissioner has ordered and directed that two investigations be carried out immediately, one; to determine any administrative any wrong doing and the other to determine if any criminal wrong doing. There are allegations of police hitting this guy or something. We will make a determination and if that is found to be true then the Commissioner has directed that these investigations unearth whatever it is that went wrong."

But at least from a preliminary look, the OC says their reports have not passed his scrutiny in his opinion as administrator.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I am not satisfied with the reaction or what was told to me as per their briefing. What they reported is that when the guy jumped out the vehicle the sergeant who was driving was alerted by the two officers in the back of the vehicle. Instead of going into the swamp where Tyson Rodriguez had ran, they sought to come around onto dry land to get to Rodriguez and in so doing they lost sight of him. That is when Tyson Rodriguez is supposed to have made his way onto the beach. There is an inclination on that beach side and there are some old debris and other stuff there that might have obstructed his path."

"I don't know that he was hoping for unimpeded access along that route, but it would appear that way. My own experience is that the police should have gone immediately behind him irrespective of the swamp area. That aspect I am not happy with but they continued according to them searching."

The family has gone to the extreme; they don't believe that Rodriguez fell and drowned himself after jumping out of a moving vehicle, while handcuffed with his hands to the back. In the least, they think that police know more than they are saying.

Shanda Rodriguez - Sister of Deceased
"I really can't give an account of the home invasion but I know my brother is not crazy to jump out of a vehicle under handcuff. They way that I see it is that the police handcuff my brother and do what they had to do with him. From back in the days they (police) had a thing with my brother, they don't want him on the peninsula. Maybe all of that has to do with it - they see him again, they feel insecure. I truly don't know what is the problem."

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"We are extremely familiar with Tyson Rodriguez; he has in past been in constant contact with the police from a criminal perspective. He has a colorful criminal past unfortunately."

Daniel Ortiz
"Police are saying that your brother is very well-known to them. They have dealt with him before in criminal matters and he is a known individual who is involved in unlawful behavior. How do you respond to that?"

Shanda Rodriguez - Sister of Deceased
"It is true, nobody is perfect."

Daniel Ortiz
"The officers having custody of Mr. Tyson, you've said that you aren't satisfied with their response being that they didn't go after Mr. Tyson immediately as he jumped out of the vehicle. Is that the only thing that has been revealed so far that you are not fully satisfied with as an officer commanding?"

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I don't want to appear to be snubbing the media; certainly that is not what I want to do. But, there are certain things that I am not a liberty to at this stage to devolve - I don't want to expand on it because as the investigation takes place, I wouldn't want to prejudice that operation by saying something that I ought not to say."

Police say that they believe Tyson Rodriguez to be a part of stolen vehicle ring which is responsible for 3 missing vehicles from Hopkins, and 1 from Dangriga stolen on Garifuna Settlement day.

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