7 News Belize

Keyren Tzib Had A Troubling Past
posted (April 8, 2015)

Tonight the Coast Guard is trying to recover from one of the most shocking incidents in its young history. But 7News has information tonight, which says that there were so many warning signs – that went unheeded by the Military Services Commission in Belmopan. As we reported, the24 year old Keyren Tzib who has the rank of "Sea-Man" shot her Coast Guard colleague, boat captain Kurt Hyde. She shot him in the back of the head with an M4 Carbine – a coast guard issued weapon. Somehow he survived the shot at close range – which exited though his cheek. He is in a critical but stable condition. This happened on a Coast Guard vessel on Easter Monday at 9:45 in the morning. They were 100 yards from the Coast Guard Headquarters with officers from police, port authority, BDF and Coast Guard when she shot him from behind. Keyren Tzib was charged for attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm.

But, could the shocking incident have been avoided? And was it foretold? 7News has confirmed that it was not the first time she drew a weapon on a fellow officer. We have credible reports that say twice she tried to stab two different members of the coast guard – and she did eventually stab one colleague – but that happened off base. She went twice before a medical board for mental illness and they found that she is mentally and physically fit for work – once she is not exposed to stressful situations.

The file on her troubling behaviour went to the Military Services Commission in 2013 but in the two years since no decisive action was taken. The Coast Guard requested that she be transferred out of their unit for misconduct, medical reasons, and the lack of trust her fellow officers in her when using arms and ammunition.

To complicate matters she went absent without order of leave for a long period of time during the period when her case was up for review. But, despite all that, she was not transferred or terminated.

She was kept on active duty, and quite incredibly, the CEO in the Ministry of National Security George Lovell tells us she was supposed to go to a services commission hearing yesterday – the day before she shot Kurt Hyde in the head. In fact, we are told she was being brought in from the field on Monday so that she could present herself before the commission.

Then there is the other issue – where, in 2011 she alleged that a male Coast Guard officer had sexually assaulted her. The person she accused was the same officer who she shot on Monday. Today CEO Lovell said that the Coast Guard investigated internally and the CIB was also brought in. The case, he says, went to the DPP who determined that they did not have enough evidence to proceed and the case was closed.

CEO Lovell told us today that the Coast Guard, the Ministry and the Commission will have to fix the various breakdowns that led to Monday's shooting.

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