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Here's how it happened, 3 men went to rob the Fabers Road Snack Shop. They almost made off with major loot and electronics, but because the GSU had prior information, they got a police officer out on the scene in time. It led to a shoot out, but at the end, all 3 suspects were detained. 7News was on the scene shortly after and we spoke to the commander about the details:

Mark Flowers, Commander - GSU
"When people call us we want to respond immediately and they did call this morning and inform us about this robbery going down and because of the time factor I could only have dispatch my own brother to the area immediately and alone he came out here and I came immediately behind him. I telephone the police control room and inform them that this was going to go down and fortunately we responded in sufficient time to have not foil the robbery but capture the robbers in the immediate aftermath of the robbery. In fact the first person who was captured was captured right at the doors at the store with all of the loot. There were 3 of them. They immediately engaged my brother who is a police officer and fired upon him. He return fire capturing one of the persons and the other 2 escaped. In the process one of them tried to - when my brother took a defensive position to take them out they continue firing, but fortunately their weapon malfunction and the magazine slipped out. I came right behind him because I knew that he was here alone. I did not realize that he was under fire by that time and we knew these people and we know what they had taken with them. A subsequent search of this house led police to two more of the robbers and some more of the stolen monies from the store. The GSU then came in more numbers and we search the immediate area. You will note that it's a very bushy area and there was yet another person hiding back there. The search that is now ongoing is to try and recover the firearm used in this morning's incident. I am certain that charges of robbery and attempted murder will be brought against these people, but I am also certain that the GSU will continue to operate along these intelligence line. We will continue to restore confidence in our people and we continue to be grateful for the assistance we received from the very many Belizeans who have been calling in support of the GSU and offering their information to us. We are certainly grateful."

The new commander is hoping to turn things around in the public domain starting with this successful operation. But he's also trying to quell the firestorm of controversy surrounding the allegations of his unit's excesses. Today, he told us that he has not been ignoring the tough critics, and the unit will be addressing those complains in the way they do things in the future:

Mark Flowers, Commander - GSU
"I would like to thank those people who find the need for law and order to prevail and who find the need for the sensible continued existence of this unit and I want to assure people that certainly the GSU is motivated, we are certainly encouraged. Out of every dark cloud there seems to be silver lining and certainly if not for all of the attention that we've been given over the last couple days. I don't know if people would see the need to make a stand too and say enough is enough and this is what we need to do. I want to encourage more people to do that, to support the police and we will do this for you in the best interest of all Belizeans. We want to tell people that the police department is your police department. You own this police department, we are but servants of the people and we want to serve you professionally and we want to do this by inviting your cooperation and valuing the feelings of people. We don't want to get emotional and sentimental and to be spreading this hatred. The GSU is going to demonstrate the professionalism and the elite side of the unit. They are going to exhibit now the training and the level of training that they have had, they are now going to improve the intelligence gathering, they are going to qualify the work that we do in such a way that there will be nothing but acceptance and praise from not only the media but from everybody in this country."