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Family Says Ladyville Cops Didn’t Have To Kill 22 Year Old
posted (November 28, 2013)
Today, Ladyville police are gathering key witnesses who they say can attest to the fact that 22 year old Travis McKay fired on police before they returned fire and killed him. Police also have the weapon he carried with three expended shells.

But, despite all that, Travis McKay's family is not satisfied that their loved one had to be killed. Today, they spoke with me in Ladyville:

Monica Bodden reporting
This is where the shooting happened at 3:40 yesterday afternoon - just one block away from the Ladyville Police Station. The usually quiet neighborhood looked on in stunned, shaken disbelief as the scenes of crime team searched for expended shells and combed the entire area for additional evidence.

The victim - 22 year old Travis McKay lay dead inside this yard - with a gunshot wound the chest area and some say one to the head. His body was then covered in a white sheet and put behind the pan of this police pick-up truck.

His mother arrived on the scene just minutes after. She had to be consoled by family members.

In the presence of Assistant Superintendent of Police and officer in charge of the Ladyville police formation Chris Noble, she was allowed to lift the sheet to view the body of her son.

ASP Chris Noble - Officer Commanding Ladyville
"The incident we have is that there was a robbery or a theft in the general area where this incident occurred. The details I can't give at this stage because I don't have it and what we have on the scene is basically that we are trying to piece together essentially what is a puzzle for us and hopefully we can satisfy all parties."

"We know that weapons were fired. To tell you or confirm with you at this stage, I can't."

Marion Ali, reporter
"But police were on the scene and they were firing?"

ASP Chris Noble - Officer Commanding Ladyville
"Police were on the scene. To tell you who was firing, I cannot say at this stage."

But just minutes before the killing occurred, police said there was an armed robbery at Belize Country Products located at mile 9 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. In a press release, police stated that a Creole descent man ran into the business place wearing a green mask, black sweater and long khaki pants. The man who was armed with a handgun closed the door and demanded money. He then grabbed the money from out of the drawer and ran out of the building across the Phillip Goldson Highway into an abandon house located beside Blue House Bar. Ladyville police who were in the area cornered the suspect on Sea Gull Street. According to police, the young man pulled out a .38 revolver and fired three shots at the marked police mobile and that was when police responded.

The press release also stated that police recovered one hundred and fifty three dollars from Mckay and a .38 Snub nose revolver containing 3 expended .38 shells and 2 live .38 rounds.

Three 9mm expended shells were also recovered from inside the police mobile. And while that is the police side of the story, some neighbors were outraged on the crime scene.

Some heard as many as 10 gunshots go off while others claim they witnessed 22 year old Travis McKay with his hands in the air before being gunned down by the police.

Stephanie Perez - Mother of Deceased
"When I went out there my sister told me that she heard gunshots bit she was sitting down in front of her house with the tenant and her grandchildren. She said that when she heard the shots she jump up and look out and she saw the police vehicle coming and one police running. She said that she saw my son running coming towards her and she ask him what happen. She says that by then Travis went down on his knees, he fell in front of her on his knees, but the police have the gun shooting on him."

Monica Bodden
"You mentioned to me that you spoke with several different neighbors as well. Did anyone state that at any point did Travis pull out a handgun and fired shots at the police?"

Stephanie Perez - Mother of Deceased
"No, they did tell me that. I am asking if anybody saw anything. If he is wrong there are the judges; there are people that could judge him, not the police to do something like that. I don't think that is fair, everybody in this village knows who is Travis."

And while the police press release did not mention how many shots Travis McKay received and to what part of his body he was shot or even how many expended shells were recovered in total from the crime scene, they did say that they will be investigating the incident.

Stephanie Perez - Mother of Deceased
"I am very hurt. He is a quite person and for my family sake, I am taking it easy and we just want to give him peace and bury him in a good manner."

Monica Bodden
"You plan on following up and getting justice for your son's murder?"

Stephanie Perez - Mother of Deceased
"Yes ma'am, as soon as we finish burying him."

To avoid conflicts, the case is being investigated by Belize City police, not Ladyville police. The Professional Standards Department is also investigating. As regards the number of shots, police investigators estimate that eight shots were fired.

Mckay's name made the news in 2007 when he was accused of breaking into then area representative Ralph Fonseca's boathouse.

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