POLICE DEATH SQUAD?
ComPol Admits to ‘Rogue Element’ within the Department The murder of 21 year old Teddy Murillo in the early hours of Saturday morning, as the young man was heading home, has resulted in a hailstorm of criticism and anger and hate aimed squarely at the Belize Police Department. The accusation from Murillo’s family is that their brother and son was shot multiple times by a man who is sworn to serve and protect, a Corporal in the Department. Members of the family have said that Murillo was heard calling the officer’s name just before he was shot to death from a vehicle. A media tour by Commissioner of Police Crispin Jeffries has done nothing to allay the fears of citizens, little to restore or inspire public confidence in the Police Department and certainly nothing to convince Murillo’s family members and other Belizeans that their beliefs and fears are groundless. Jeffries’ rounds in the media, rather, seem a patently political ploy to make him the face of the Police in the midst of this crisis, while shielding the man who is the chief policymaker and the man at whom the buck must stop, Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo. Perdomo’s last media tour was less than successful and his appearance did nothing to obtain public confidence. So this week, while Commissioner Jeffries was taking the heat for the accusations threatening to tear the department apart, Minister Perdomo was taking advantage of a photo opportunity to hand out motorcycles and tools. But Belizeans are not in the mood for the political games being played in the Police Department, not when residents are being shot down in the streets and the criminals allegedly doing the shooting are those who should be providing protection. Young Teddy Murillo is the third victim of a fatal shooting recently in which Police Officers have been directly implicated. In late December, Chris Galvez was shot to death on the Western Highway, and his family and an eyewitness claimed that it was a policeman who pulled the trigger. On February 13th, a Jamaican, O’Neil Jones was shot by Police in Ladyville. Witnesses say that he had no weapon and was shot in the back as he ...









