Last year, it made major news when 3 fishermen were arrested and charged for allegedly shooting at the Coast Guard who were responding to a robbery of a vessel in open waters. Well, those men, Leonel Emmanuel Sedacy, Giovanni Murrillo, and Everal Teck Junior, are all free after they stood trial in the Magistrate's Court and were acquitted.
The allegation was that on April 10, 2014, Coast Guard received a report of a robbery in progress south east of Middle Long Caye. A team of Coast Guard officers responded, and according to them, a Skiff was seen trying to speed away. The officers allegedly pursued it for 2 hours, and when they tried to approach, 4 shots were fired on them. They returned fire, and eventually managed to intercept the vessel, which resulted in the detention of all 3 accused men. They were subsequently charged with 4 counts of aggravated assault for allegedly shooting at the 4 officers who pursued them.
But, when the case went to the Magistrate's Court, the prosecutor wasn't able to produce enough evidence to prove that the men were guilty. The prosecutor called 2 of the 4 Coast Guard officers to testify against the men, but by the reasoning of the Chief Magistrate, Ann Marie Smith, that evidence was not enough to establishe that these men fired on the Coast Guard.
The other 2 Coast Guard officers did not show up for the trial, and so, the prosecutor was forced to close the case without completing it. Chief Magistrate Smith did not have any other choice at that moment but to acquit the men because of a lack of evidence.
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