7 News Belize

GSU Attacks Again!
posted (September 3, 2014)

Last night, we told you about the PUP's call for the removal of the New Commander of the Gang Suppression Unit, Inspector Mark Flowers. Well the Unit is making headlines again tonight after another allegation of police brutality and excessive use of force has emerged.

The story started earlier this morning when the area around George Street saw a new GSU toy on patrol. It's a bus designed for the unit's paramilitary style and intelligence based operation. It's designed with a generator and 2 AC Units on the back, sophisticated camera equipment, and electronics on the inside. It's a fully-functional and mobile operating base, and today, they decided to test it out in George Street territory.

It unfolded into chaos, and 7News was there for the aftermath. Daniel Ortiz reports:

When we arrived, Officers of the Gang Suppression Unit were searching a yard on King Street.They were peering impishly over the high zinc fence, monitoring the progress of our cameras.

Meanwhile, they already had Kariq Tzul and Bernard Myers detained in the back of their police mobile. Both men appeared angry, and Tzul looked to be in discomfort.The officers combed the rest of the area looking for another man who they had been pursuing, careful to try to avoid us.

Tzul was detained by the officers here at the upstairs flat of this house, and as has been alleged before, the officers reportedly stopped the homeowner from monitoring their activities while they interrogated Tzul.

The neighbour at the lower flat told us, off camera, what he heard and saw. He said that he heard Tzul crying out in pain and what sounded like stamping.

Neighbour – Present During the GSU Operation

"Well I was in my room lying down in my bed. I don't know what is happening outside, I just hear, who else is in there? And they use the bad word right. The young man said nobody else and they still beat him, they stone down things. So I come out to see what is happening, when I get to my door, they put a gun to my face and ask me who else inside and I said nobody, I just come home from work and i'm tired and lying down and rest. So they search my house too and come out and they left and went upstairs and then they are beating the boy again upstairs, for what? I don't know."

Daniel Ortiz

"Sir, when you say beat, what were you hearing? Because obviously you couldn't see."

Neighbour

"I couldn't see, all I heard was stomping. They stomp him on the floor and they dragged him in the kitchen. Drag him, stop him, all you hear is bang, bang, bang. They have me at my door and I can't leave."

Daniel Ortiz

"The other young man who they had detained apart from Mr. Tzul, is he related to you?"

Neighbour

"Yes, that's my son. He left earlier before that, he told me dad I'm going to my granny. I thought he left, but when I came out here, the young lady told me, the police are stomping your son on the street side and have him handcuffed. I don't know for what. My son told me he going to his granny and they just met him at the sidewalk and stomp him down and detain him. When they let him go, and I talked to him he said they just stomp him down and they explained nothing to him. I ask what the police man tell you. No explanation, all they did was stomp him down, slam his head into the wall at the Chinese shop. He was at the shop already, more than 60 feet from the lane and they just do that to him. So you're trying to tell me anybody they meet, they will just chance like that? That is out of order."

The GSU Mobile drove around, and around, and around looking for another suspect and after a half hour with us on the scene, they finally released both men. Tzul was limping, he appeared unable to walk properly, with a grimace of pain on his face, and he was holding his left rib area.

We tried convince both of them to speak with us about the encounter with the GSU, but they refused point-blank.

Tzul eventually limped off down the sidewalk, and King Street continued as though nothing had taken place. 

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