Tonight, a group of Belize City men are demanding answers from police after an incident which occurred early last week Friday morning. They were leaving a nightclub when a vehicle started to trail their 1993 Mitsubishi van. They claim they didn't know it was a police vehicle since they didn't see any sirens. The pursuit wound all around the city - although we're not sure how a beat up 1993 diesel van could outrun any police mobile.
The pursuit turned dangerous when the men say police fired into their van hitting a passenger. The 21 year old spoke to us today - asking to appear off camera:...
Harold Usher, Claims police shot him
"We were coming home from the Elements Night Club Thursday night and an officer chased me and shoot me up."
Reporter
"I understand that after they stopped the vehicle they beat up everyone in the vehicle as well. Is that correct?"
Harold Usher
"Yes sir they took out everyone and started to attack them."
Reporter
"You are well even though you were injured?"
Harold Usher
"I was one of the first to get attacked. I tried to talk to him but..."
Reporter
"You showed him your injury and they still beat you?"
Harold Usher
"When I showed him my injury they started to beat me on it."
Reporter
"Where you charged with any offense?"
Harold Usher
"I didn't get any charge, they just shot me, left me in the hospital and went."
Reporter
"How you feel about this whole thing knowing that you were shot for no reason and as far as you know, no reason at all."
Harold Usher
"I can't work right now so I'm not really happy about it. I can't make any money and I need to eat."
Reporter
"I see before me 4 charges that you failed to give us when you changed direction, you drove without due care and attention and if you had to confer with a traffic sign, when I look at the details it said that you hit a police mobile at an ambulance crossing."
Denton Requena, Driver
"Exactly, that's what they're stating."
Reporter
"If these are juts traffic offenses why is your passenger shot? You showed me pictures of you and your face was all swollen up. You showed me a picture of a guy in a car who obviously had been beaten on his back. Why all these things for minor traffic offences?"
Denton Requena, Driver
"We had a vehicle tailing us form the Elements Night Club and when approaching the roundabout, all I heard was 3-4 gun shots. Immediately after that my passenger said to me 'I got shot' and it was my decision to go to Karl Heuser. At no point was there a light or siren to signal me. A police informing me to stop. As you can see there are 4 charges there and at no point none is stating failure to stop."
Reporter
"The only way they got you to stop was by shooting..."
Denton Requena, Driver
"Shooting, if that's the way police stop vehicles, I will personally stop drive. I want an explanation for the shooting, beating, because they have my face swollen, ribs damaged, my breathing short. I'm just barely recovering and I really need some answers because all those bills incur on me already and they're still pressuring. Its craziness but its reality and I accept that its reality but we need to deal with fair. You stopped a vehicle with no problems, no contraband, nothing you think you were looking for in a van. So what you need to do is explain to us how we deal with a situation from here because we can't just be left with a damaged vehicle, a victim that was shot, a beaten face by two officers and a W. That's not a normal situation to deal with."
Denton Requena has already appeared in court for the traffic offenses - where he pleaded not guilty.
Usher has made a complaint to the Professional Standards Branch. The van was still in police custody up to this evening.
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