Police Shoot A Man In Caye Caulker
Tonight a 25 year old Dangriga resident who resides in Caye Caulker is in stable condtion at the KHMH after being shot by police.
Residents say Tyson Rodriguez was shot while fleeing from police who had found him with some weed. Police say he pulled a knife on them - which - we must say - is an all-too familiar story.
Here's what we found out when we went to the Island this afternoon:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
25 year old Tyson Rodriguez was in this house. In this very poor area on the western side of Caye Caulker. Residents call it "Black Neighborhood."
Shanda Rodriguez, Sister of Victim
"They were smoking weed (marijuana) when the police came. The police broke open the door and he saw when the officer pulls out a gun. He got scared and ran away."
Paul Rubio, Area Resident, "Black Neighborhood"
"When the officer went upstairs and search Tyson he jumps downstairs. I don't know if it's because he saw the gun and got scared that he decided to run. He was unarmed, he doesn't have a gun. He was just running."
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"The police came through the hole here. I went home to see if my son was okay when I saw the police officer ran upstairs. The boy jump downstairs and ran and after that I heard two gunshots."
Police chased him from this house - about half a mile to this beachfront area at the Eastern side of the island where they shot him.
Shirley Young was in the area and heard those same gunshots - she asked to appear off camera:
Shirley Young, in area at time of shooting.
Shirley Young
"There was a young man peddling along on a bicycle really fast. I knew he was being chased. When I turned around, there was a police officer on a bicycle coming after him. The boy drop the bike, drop his hat and he started running south along the beach."
"The police was behind him. The police officer went after him. There was a shot fired probably in front of Tom's Hotel on the beach side. The officer went around the corner and another came on a motor scooter and he followed the two."
"I heard a second shot around the corner."
His friend Anita Garcia came to see police hauling him to the clinic:
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"I went to assist the man because he is my children's family. We are the ones that have him out here because we send for him. Tyson is not a bad person. Tyson is home to the shop and shop to his home. Many people on the island know Tyson. I was at the hospital attending to him until they prepared him to go to Belize City Hospital."
"I felt bad because we are the ones who have him out here."
Jules Vasquez
"How was his condition?"
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"He was in bad pain because he was shot in his back."
He was taken to Belize City where his sister Shanda Rodriguez received him.
Shanda Rodriguez, sister
"I think he got shot in his back and it exited through his belly."
Marion Ali, reporter
"Have you spoken with the doctors? What is his prognosis?"
Shanda Rodriguez, sister
"Right now he is undergoing surgery and he is stable. He ran from the police. He had surrendered, he doesn't want to have anything to do with them, and so they shouldn't have shot him like that. But such is it."
"I wish the police would have done a better job than that."
And that's the wider issue - residents in the area say they are systematically harassed.
Paul Rubio, Area Resident, "Black Neighborhood"
"When they came to my yard this morning that's what got me outraged and pissed off."
Paul Rubio has been living here for 14 years and made his home here. He says this morning heavily armed police came searching in his house as well.
Paul Rubio, Area Resident, "Black Neighborhood"
"The officer didn't even respect my side. He just came and opened my gate and walk in my yard like that."
"They came in my place with their big guns, that is why I am pissed off today. They told me not to put myself in this because I don't know what will happen."
And the residents of this black neighborhood say there is a racial dimension to the harassment:
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"The officer Choc is a very racist officer. Everyone is talking about PC Choc out here and we would really appreciate if they would get Choc off this island."
"I, myself have problems with PC Choc. He watched me the other day and says that he would really want to kill someone that is black. I want to know if we are birds for him to say something like that."
Jules Vasquez
"You heard that?"
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"He says that from his mouth. He says that he really would want to kill someone that is black. That is what Choc says from his mouth when he came here."
The other side of that is that business-owner on the island - most of whom are not black say that many of the residents of this neighborhood come to prey on legitimate businesses
Jules Vasquez
"Now, you have some people out there that say that a lot of the people that are through the hole, don't come here with any jobs, they come here to steal."
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"I know what you are saying and I understand that but then this boy that came here wanted a job. He is looking for a job, but right now jobs out here are full."
"And I am trying to help him also, so what I do is try to help him until he can get a job."
Jules Vasquez
"Would he be in desperation that he would engage in criminal activity?"
Anita Garcia, Friend of Victim
"No way."
Marion Ali, reporter
"Is this the first time that your brother has an encounter with the police?"
Shanda Rodriguez, sister
"No this is not the first time but this is the worst time he ever got encounter with the police like this that it ends up in a situation where it could have been more dangerous. It could have been his life."
Police on the island would not comment, but the Department did issue a release saying that when they searched Rodriguez's residence in Caye Caulker, they found two small parcels of suspected marijuana. They say Rodriguez ran when he was informed of the find.
Police say he ran and was caught by an officer. They say a struggle then ensued where Rodriquez pulled a knife which resulted in the officer pulling out his 9 mm service revolver and shooting him once in the abdomen area.
Police say he is in a critical but stable condition. The release says that police have retrieved Rodriquez's knife.
Channel 7
Man from dark side of Caye Caulker shot
A man was shot this morning in the island of Caye Caulker, and a police is under investigation for pulling the trigger. Tyson Rodriguez was rushed to the K.H.M.H. and is in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery. It is not the first time that the cops have shot at residents and the incident has fueled anger among the residents of the Black Neighborhood who believe the shooting was unnecessary. The facts are that Rodriquez moved to the island about a month ago in search of a job and this morning he was shot in the abdomen in a police chase by PC Juan Chuc. The police say he pulled a knife at them but residents dispute that version. News Five's Delahnie Bain reports from Caye Caulker.
Delahnie Bain, Reporting
A man was shot by police during an early morning raid in the area known as the Black Neighborhood in Caye Caulker. The cops were looking for drugs and when a small amount of marijuana was discovered, one of three persons at the house, twenty-five year old Tyson Rodriguez, jumped from the two-storey structure and attempted to flee. Police set chase and the pursuit ended when Rodriguez was shot to the abdomen. He was flown to Belize City for treatment and we met his sister at the K.H.M.H.
Shanda Rodriguez
Shanda Rodriguez, Sister of Tyson Rodriguez
"The way I get the situation how he got shot was because he was running from the police because he was staying with my cousin who lives in Caye Caulker and they were smoking a little weed and he saw the police haul out their guns and he ran. And then police shot him from behind. It exited his belly and now he's undergoing surgery."
Police claim that Rodriguez was shot because he attacked an officer with a ten inch knife. But his friend and neighbor, Melvin Lopez says he didn't have a weapon.
Melvin Lopez, Friend of Tyson Rodriguez
"About seven-thirty I was up here trimming my uncle hair then I si di police ranger pull up. Each police went to a house den dehn start search one ah my friend house yah den I si Tyson jump from dis yellow house and run through wah lee alley dah way deh. I hear ih get shot but I neva believe den when I gone by deh and I si dehn bring ah pan wah stretcher. I noh know weh time dehn shot ah or how much time, but I know ih get shot."
Melvin Lopez
Delahnie Bain
"Now, they are saying that he pulled out a knife. Did you see if he had anything with him when he was running?"
Melvin Lopez
"Nope, that's a lie he didn't have no knife."
Charles "Laban" Rubio, Estrella Street Resident
"From the month I’ve known him I would see him come borrow my boat, go fishing, come back, go home. Home, store, home, store; that's the only way I know Tyson. I don't really know him as a guy-about his history or if he's a bad guy or anything, I don't really know him like that."
Charles "Laban" Rubio
Charles Rubio, another resident of the Black Neighborhood, says that his house was targeted after Rodriguez ran past it, even though he tried to tell the officers which direction he went.
Charles Rubio
"When the police came they didn't even ask if they can come into my place, they came and broke the front of the house, they broke a part of the verandah, they jumped in over my fence with this big gun and come upstairs to my house. I have my little daughter, she started to cry and scream because she's so scared because she'd never seen a gun before. He also even push me in my face inside my house the other guy with the big gun, he walked outside and left the other police alone in my house. You know if I would have been a bad guy I could have attacked him in my house because he had no right to come into my house without a search warrant. And even if he would have come and said Mr. Rubio, I would like to conduct a search, please can I search your place I would give him the go ahead because I know my yard is clean and I live clean."
Rubio says that nothing incriminating was found in his yard, but he was still taken to the police station. He claims that the officers told him outright that they would continue to harass him.
Charles Rubio
"He said I will continue come here and harass you guys. I said well, I’m not a drug dealer so if you come to my place any day you won’t find nothing. So I want to urge this to the government or anyone because if anything happens to me it's because they have already told me what they are going to do. So right now I’m so scared but you guys came out here and decided to come to speak my mind. If I am harassed by the police department, I am going to sue the department. I am telling them out-front now; I don't want to be harassed by them because they are going to speak to my attorney."
The incident has Rubio contemplating relocation and Rodriguez's sister, Shanda believes the situation could have been handled differently.
Shanda Rodriguez
"I would just like for the police to hold it down. They got ways how police should carry out their duties, they got ways how they should deal with situations because ih neva have to shoot ah eena ih belly. Ih could ah mi shoot ah pan ih foot because wah belly dah wah tender part ah wah human being. Anything could happen and di far travel weh ih have to do fi reach yah and all ah dehn things. So I just wish they would ah tighten more pan di police force."
Charles Rubio
"This is the fourth person getting shot on this island."
Delahnie Bain
"By police?"
Charles Rubio
"By police. And so I am so scared. Right now I’m making up my mind to get out of this country. My oldest brother lives in Oslo and I’m about to buy a ticket, me and my family and get out of here because I’m so scared of this community now."
Tonight, Rodriguez is in critical but stable condition at the K.H.M.H. and police say that the knife and the police firearm have been recovered. Delahnie Bain for News Five.
Two others that have been shot by police in Caye Caulker are Alex Goff, who was fatally shot by Police Constable Alpheus Parham while in custody in May 2010 and Benedict Lopez, who was shot on Christmas Day while being detained for domestic abuse.
Channel 5