The GSU have managed to stay out of the news recently, but, this morning we received reports of an incident involving a Belize City fisherman and the GSU. According to Joshua Gillet, who is from the Conch Shell Bay Area, the GSU jumped him this morning a little before 9am. Gillet claims he wasn't doing anything wrong, but that the GSU has been targeting and abusing him and others in the area. He came to our studio this morning, just after the incident to tell us what happened.
Joshua Gillet - Fisherman
"Well sir, I was in the area of Conch Shell Bay, taking piss, and I went in an abandoned spot and GSU pulled up. They ask me to go on the ground for them, so I went on the ground. Then when I was on the ground another one asked me to get up, so I got up and then they put me in the mud. They put me down in the mud, shoved me in the mud. Then when I was in the mud they started to stamp me, you get the sense. And when I turned around to ask why they were beating me, one of them asked the big man who was running the crowd, Mr. Fergeson, to step one side, and Mr. Fergerson stepped on side and they shot me, boss. With a rubber bullet. I didn't do anything. We don't kill anybody at Conch Shell Bay, boss. Why are they coming to beat us, boss? The day before the same crowd came to be boss, and this is what they did to me, they put up gun signs at me, you get the sense, boss?"
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"So is there a reason why they would be targeting you at all?"
Joshua Gillet
"No reason, boss. I haven't killed anyone, boss. I'm a licensed fisherman, boss. When I go to sea, I scrape fish, boss. I don't know why these men target me, boss. And it's not the first time, boss. They always do this to me, boss."
We spoke with GSU Commander, Inspector Glen Caliz about the incident. He confirmed that an encounter did occur between GSU officers and Gillet, however he says it wasn't a random stop. According to Caliz, Gillet is a known marijuana dealer in the Conch Shell Bay area, and GSU stopped him to search him. He went on to say that Gillet was only forced unto the ground after he resisted and challenged the officers. The inspector also denied that any shots were fired at Gillet, stating that the wound would be more significant if fired at such close range.
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