More than a month after eighteen-year-old Ewart Josiah Hernandez Jr. was shot and killed, tensions are rising between police and a Belize City family caught up in the investigation. Officers returned to a home at the corner of Oleander and Mahogany streets on Thursday evening, where they conducted another search and detained Jaime Anderson, who had posted videos of previous operations online. Residents say police have searched the property repeatedly for more than two years, but the raids intensified after Hernandez’s August murder and the arrest of three minors linked to the residence. The family now accuses officers of using excessive force during the latest operation. Anderson’s nephew says they understand that police have a job to do but believe the repeated searches and the way officers are carrying them out have gone too far.
Voice of: Belize City Resident
Voice of: Belize City Resident
“Ney seh how lotta people come ya come heng out like gang so ney seh this clearly da wa gang yard. And when we come out and thing, ney harass we. As yo come out, ney noh give yo no break fi come out and go da shop. I no like that. Last night ney come ya cuz ney we mi do something but we just left from El Paso gone buy food, I mi got my lee nephew. My big breda friend pass we, we wait fi he and we ride cross ya and when ney see we cross the street, after a while ney just come cross and seh how we mi di do something. And we had we food and thing inna we hand. Ney ask me fi my name and thing, I ask ney if ney have a warrant. Ney no ansa me and ney start string up me. Cuz I no want give ney my name and thing.”
Britney Gordon
“Was anybody hurt last night when they came to search?”
Voice of: Belize City Resident
“Ney pepper spray my ma, my lee cousin weh just come from work. My cousin weh da wa gyal to. Ney seh ney knock ah inna ih face like four time.”
Britney Gordon
“Are you guys going to make a report against them?”
Voice of: Belize City Resident
“Yes ma’am. Hope so. Nothing wrong fi ney come and thing but da the way how ney come.”
Their grandmother has publicly pleaded with police to back off, saying her grandchildren had no role in Hernandez’s killing.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
Watch the full newscast here:
