Twenty-nine-year-old Fredrick Sutherland has died, weeks after he was critically injured in an August 28th shooting near Banak Street and Amandala Drive in Belize City.
Police say officers on patrol were alerted to gunshots shortly before 8:00pm that night. Investigators say Sutherland and another person were traveling on a motorcycle when they were fired upon by a man.
A man was detained in connection with the shooting, and a licensed firearm was seized. He claimed at the time that he fired because he believed his life was in danger. He has not been charged.
In the days following the shooting, ASP Stacy Smith said police had not yet accepted or rejected the shooter’s account of what happened. “What we have established during an ongoing investigation is that Sutherland and another person were onboard a motorcycle when they were fired upon by a male person. Mr. Sutherland is currently hospitalized and undergoing treatment, where he is listed in a critical condition. We have not taken an official position on that. It is an ongoing investigation. The male person who was in custody averred that he felt like he was under threat, and that is why he took the decision he did. However, we are pursuing statements from other persons who we believe can provide clarity in that regard.”
