Kelvin Usher has been found - and is safe at home with his family tonight. The news blazed out early this morning around 7:30 that he had been found alive on the old Northern Highway. His father is the one who collected him and brought him directly to their Sibun Street home in Belize City. That's where ACP Chester Williams was the first to go to the house to interview him. Today at a press conference called by the Prime Minister, Williams outlined the narrative that the 17 year old gave him:...
ACP Chester Williams, Commander, Professional Standards Branch
"In my discussion with Kelvin Usher this morning, he confirmed that he indeed heard shots fired and subsequent to hearing the shots fired he took off in the bushes. He continue by saying that he spent the entire 3-4 days in the bushes and it was until this morning that he watch the sun rising and he decided to follow the sun, knowing that the sun will rise from the east and his way out of the farm would be east. He said in following the sun he came upon a farm road which took him to 2 other subsequent farm roads and eventually to the old northern highway in the general vicinity of where he had escaped from the police and while there waiting he saw his father vehicle coming and stopped his father, he got into the vehicle and they came to Belize City."
"I must say that Mr. Usher have some injuries on his hands which he said was caused by the fact that he was running in the bushes. He said that he was in the bushes for so long because he was lost and let me make it emphatically clear that during my debriefing of him, he made it clear that at no time did he encounter the police. He said when he heard the shots and the person shouted out "police" he didn't look back to see if it was police. He just took off in the bushes. He was asked if he was beaten by the police, he said no, he never came upon the police. He was asked if the police had him held captive. He said no the police did not have him kept captive. It was just a matter that he was lost in the bushes and was able to make his way out of the bushes this morning."
"So the whole notion that police were involved in his disappearance and had him held captive, that is dispelled through the words of Mr. Usher himself."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Would you explain how he described his subsistence during that time?"
ACP Chester Williams
"In my discussion with him, he basically said that he only drank water and had nothing to eat. It was not until this morning that he actually got something to eat when he came upon a farm and he said he shouted and the owner of the farm came out and he ask the owner of the farm for something to eat and he was given tomato, berries and coconut and that was what he ate this morning before he was found. Prior to that based on his own account he ate nothing other than drinking water."
Reporter
"Anybody out there and in the wilderness for surviving on water for 3 days would be weak, would be emaciated. Is that the appearance that this young man had?"
ACP Chester Williams
"From my view of him, he do not appeared to be weak, but so as not to be underestimating his condition, I have directed that he be taken to the doctor to be examine to ensure that he gets some level of medical attention or some level of medical examination just to ensure that he is good health."
Reporter
"Did you get an idea as to day by day what it was that he was doing out in the bushes? Where he slept and how he kept himself alive basically out there?"
ACP Chester Williams
"Yes I did, but I really and truly do not want to go into too much details where that is concern."
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