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Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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A 27 year old man died in Placencia this weekend - the cops say he escaped and they found him floating in the water; while his family says the cops killed him, held his face in the sand and suffocated him - while he was in handcuffs. Two vastly different accounts but no matter which one you believe, Tyson Rodriguez is dead. If the name rings a distant bell, it should; Rodriguez was shot by police on Caye Caulker in March of 2012. But this time there was no shooting; the post mortem result says that he died of, quote, "asphyxia by bronchial aspiration of sand beach", end quote. Basically that means he suffocated on sand. The death certificate adds that he had multiple traumas to the chest - which means that he had been beaten.

Tonight we'll have both interpretations of that result, but we'll also have the back-story which is equally compelling. It starts on Thursday night with an American couple who live on the Placencia Peninsula; they were robbed, and beaten on the beach, then taken to their house, tied up, the residence burglarized, and their car stolen. When police found the vehicle all the way in Corozal - 213 miles away - on Friday morning they say that Tyson Rodriguez had been driving it. He was arrested after a reported beatdown by Xaibe villagers who apprehended him. That's how he ended up back in Placencia on Friday night at 10:30 where the circumstances leading to his death are still cloudy. Daniel Ortiz went to the Peninsula today to try to get some clarity:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
This Orange house in the Plantation area of Placencia belongs to an Elderly Canadian couple. Sure, it looks quiet today, but the violence that they experienced on last Thursday night, has shaken their sense of security.

They just barely survived a vicious home invasion, which police believe was carefully planned after surveillance was done on the couple.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"Earlier that evening around 8 o' clock, three dark skinned men surprised them as the husband stood on the beach side in front of their house. They live on the beach. I think they were the victim of -- and they might have survived what could have been a murder. They might have survived I don't know whether by faith or luck or otherwise, but certainly these people had intended to kill that elderly couple. They've made all their attempts but it was expedient for them to get out of here quickly. These people were not resisting, they did not offer any resistance. That might have speared their lives."

They then stole the Canadian couple's white GMC SUV, and escaped with the stolen items. 13 and a half hours later, police spotted the stolen vehicle on the road in the Corozal District, some 200 miles away from where the home invasion happened.

Police say that 27 year-old Tyson Rodriguez was one of the 2 men spotted in the vehicle.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I proceeded to inform the Commissioner of Police first and then the entire nation by electronics means. We have this networking, so the entire country were quickly informed and alerted to be on the lookout. Through the joint effort of Customs, Police and some civilians up in Patchakan Village, the vehicle was recovered and so was the suspect Tyson Rodriguez."

"They were brought back to Placencia via Belmopan from where we picked them up and they came here."

That was all commendable police work until the Placencia investigators started questioning.

Rodriguez. That's where the story gets murky.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"My brief is that Rodriguez was very cooperative with the police to some point. He had offered to take the police to recovered some of the loot and he was headed by a senior non-commanding officer, a sergeant, he was placed inside the pan of the vehicle and whilst on their way to the Plantation area, my brief is that he jumped out the pan on the vehicle and ran towards the sea and stumbled (I don't know), fell in the sea and was later seen floating. The body was retrieve and taken to the Polyclinic here in the village and pronounced dead. It was later transported to the morgue in Dangriga and then to Belize City where a post mortem examination is expected to be conducted. This will determine cause of death."

The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez's sudden unexpected death has triggered a reaction from the Commissioner of Police, who wants it determined with absolute certainty how he died while in police custod.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"As a consequence to these events that lead to the death of Tyson Rodriguez the Commissioner has ordered and directed that two investigations be carried out immediately, one; to determine any administrative any wrong doing and the other to determine if any criminal wrong doing. There are allegations of police hitting this guy or something. We will make a determination and if that is found to be true then the Commissioner has directed that these investigations unearth whatever it is that went wrong."

But at least from a preliminary look, the OC says their reports have not passed his scrutiny in his opinion as administrator.

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I am not satisfied with the reaction or what was told to me as per their briefing. What they reported is that when the guy jumped out the vehicle the sergeant who was driving was alerted by the two officers in the back of the vehicle. Instead of going into the swamp where Tyson Rodriguez had ran, they sought to come around onto dry land to get to Rodriguez and in so doing they lost sight of him. That is when Tyson Rodriguez is supposed to have made his way onto the beach. There is an inclination on that beach side and there are some old debris and other stuff there that might have obstructed his path."

"I don't know that he was hoping for unimpeded access along that route, but it would appear that way. My own experience is that the police should have gone immediately behind him irrespective of the swamp area. That aspect I am not happy with but they continued according to them searching."

The family has gone to the extreme; they don't believe that Rodriguez fell and drowned himself after jumping out of a moving vehicle, while handcuffed with his hands to the back. In the least, they think that police know more than they are saying.

Shanda Rodriguez - Sister of Deceased
"I really can't give an account of the home invasion but I know my brother is not crazy to jump out of a vehicle under handcuff. They way that I see it is that the police handcuff my brother and do what they had to do with him. From back in the days they (police) had a thing with my brother, they don't want him on the peninsula. Maybe all of that has to do with it - they see him again, they feel insecure. I truly don't know what is the problem."

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"We are extremely familiar with Tyson Rodriguez; he has in past been in constant contact with the police from a criminal perspective. He has a colorful criminal past unfortunately."

Daniel Ortiz
"Police are saying that your brother is very well-known to them. They have dealt with him before in criminal matters and he is a known individual who is involved in unlawful behavior. How do you respond to that?"

Shanda Rodriguez - Sister of Deceased
"It is true, nobody is perfect."

Daniel Ortiz
"The officers having custody of Mr. Tyson, you've said that you aren't satisfied with their response being that they didn't go after Mr. Tyson immediately as he jumped into the vehicle. Is that the only thing that has been revealed so far that you are not fully satisfied with as an officer commanding?"

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I don't want to appear to be snubbing the media; certainly that is not what I want to do. But, there are certain things that I am not a liberty to at this stage to devolve - I don't want to expand on it because as the investigation takes place, I wouldn't want to prejudice that operation by saying something that I ought not to say."

Police say that they believe Tyson Rodriguez to be a part of stolen vehicle ring which is responsible for 3 missing vehicles from Hopkins, and 1 from Dangriga stolen on Garifuna Settlement day.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Placencia Police-man Charged For Murdering Tyson Rodriguez

Murder - it's not a charge we hear brought against police all that often, in fact it's only happened a handful of times in the past 20 years, but tonight 41 year-old Sergeant Julio Shal, has been charged for the murder of Tyson Rodriguez.

As we told you, the 3 officers who had Rodriguez in their custody in Placencia were claiming that he died suddenly when he escaped from them. But, the post-mortem revealed that he suffocated from inhaling sand - and that he had chest trauma. The led his family to claim that the police killed him by holding his head in the sand, that is, after they brutalized him.

It's a terrible abuse of authority, and tonight, Sergeant Shal, is in jail after being arraigned in Dangriga Magistrate's Court today. An eyewitness has come forward to give evidence against Shal which completely refutes his version, and corroborates the findings of the post-mortem examination.

Today, family attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd spoke to the media saying that the Rodriguez family is pleased with the development, but not satisfied:

Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Attorney for Rodriguez Family
"The family is happy, but not happy because someone died and because someone was burglarized, robbed and beaten - happy because they feel that for the first time in a long time in this country, the police had the audacity to investigate one of their own. And not only investigate, they cooperated with the family. And I say with the family because as the attorney, I know they have been in contact with us and cooperating with us and providing information. So at this point, we don't have anything to say against them. It doesn't mean if they don't misstep sometime in the near future we won't say. But this is what we need to say; that for the first time, police have gone all out to do an investigation and as a result, Sgt. Julio Shal has been arrested and charged. To that what the mother has commented to me is that yes; one down and two more to go. Why do we say that is because Sgt. Shal did not act on his own. We know that there are at least two other police officers. But we will not take the law into our hands; we will leave the police to do their work. We will make all the proper authorities do what they have to do - let the DPP give her direction and everything and we will sit back and wait and see the system work. Wherever it is failing, we will step in. This is good news for them."

"And also, one of the things the mother wanted me to convey to the media and to the couple in the Placencia area that has been burglarized and beaten, she wants them to know that if in anyway there is proof that her son was involved, she personally apologizes to the family; that is not the way she raise her son, she would never defend any wrong he did; she really feels bad about anything. She was not in the country when it all happened and she believes that if her son is guilty, the police should have arrested, charged him taken the evidence to court, convict him and imprison him. at the end of the day, she is absolutely outraged that they would just kill him because the police cannot take the law into their own hands. The court system has got to work for us, the police has got to work for us and that is her position and I applaud her position."

7News spoke the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, who told us that the evidence coming forward does not implicate the other 2 officers who were with Shal at the time when Rodriguez died.

Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie is out of the country and Assistant Commissioner Mike Segura is holding over in his post. We attempted to reach Segura to ask what sort of action will be taken against the 2 officers who gave written testimony to investigators which fit in with the version of events Shal presented. This new statement from the eyewitness who has come forward would suggest that these officers gave false evidence. We made several attempts but our calls to Segura went unanswered.

According to our archives, in March of 2004, in San Igancio Corporal Julio Shal was charged with attempted murder for shooting a man as he stood on the street. Shal appeared to have been drinking and told the victim that he was being taken in for questioning - but instead he took him to an secluded area on where Shal is alleged to have shot him in the right arm.

A quick search of our records shows that Sheldon Arzu, Burton Caliz and Alpheus Parham are other police officers, all constables who were charged for murder in the last 10 years.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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Tyson Rodriguez's Family Search For Answers In His Death

Sergeant Julio Shal, the second in command at Placencia Police is currently on remand for murder in relation to Tyson Rodriguez's death, and while police conduct 2 investigations into the matter, his family is also doing their independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. That's because as we've told you, Shal and the 2 officers who were with him on the Friday night of November 22, when Rodriguez died, told their bosses that when he supposedly drowned, they didn't see, because he escaped from a moving truck with his hands cuffed behind his back and ran into a bushy area. The post mortem, as we've shown you, says that he died from sand inhalation of sand and he suffered abuse sometime before his death.

An eyewitness has brought written testimony which complete refutes the officers' claims and it implicates Shal only.

Well, on Wednesday, Hilda Rodriguez, Tyson's mother, went with her attorney, Audrey Matura to the location where he met his end, and they told the media that more information in the police officers' statement simply does not add up:

Hilda Rodriguez, Mother of Tyson Rodriguez
"We are trying to trace the last steps of Tyson Rodriguez's life. This is where he probably drew his last breath and I just wanted to say that on behalf of myself and my family if he wrongs anyone in anyway, I deeply apologized. That was not the way I raised him. I would have never wanted him to hurt anyone. At the same time his life was taken and so we are here trying to search fro the truth and find justice."

Audrey Matura-Shepherd - Attorney
"What I would add is that the police report and the different information coming out gave the indication as though he escaped from this vehicle, jumped out and ran through this area near in Chable Mar and the about 20 minutes later I am told the police found him dead and that the reason they didn't pursue him was because there was swamp in the area. We came to see for ourselves; absolutely no swamp in the area. In some areas the soil is actually high and we can see its all sand right here and then there is the beach."

"Definitely there is a lot of inconsistency with what they were saying. Also there is a theory that a police officer told us that he could have fallen on his face on his own and therefore suffocated on his own without anyone pressing him. He said that the sand is so deep and soft that once your face drop in it you can't come out. Again, we tested that theory. Impossible and the sand here is not even that deep. The natural instinct would be that someone would try and pushed themselves out or whatever. That still does not explain the extent of sand in his system. It does not explain the extent and beating and bruising on him that eventually caused and contributed to his death. At this point we are definitely sure that the accounts of the police cannot be right, one and two: we are a bit concern that coincidentally the body would be found just in this area, just off the little road; the one little road that leads into the area. That more speaks to that the police driving in, bringing him here, beating him and killing him and leaving him here, spinning around and then coming back and say that we found this man because these people say that they found a dead man. It's just like totally inconsistent. But we will leave the police to do their work, but people need to know that if they visited the area themself, they will see that - common sense - it's just inconsistent."

So, it is a huge black eye for Placencia police because one of their commanding officers, none other than the second command, is being accused of extra-judicial activities when he supposedly ended Tyson Rodriguez's life. As we've told this is not the first time that he's been accused of abuse of authority. So, what does his commanding officer have to say about his character? Well, he was very cagey about that when he was asked about it, saying that he would not want to prejudice the double internal investigations on Shal:

Reporter
"Is he being charged with the murder of Rodriguez and could you tell me more the background of Mr. Shal? We understand that he was second in command."

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"He was the sergeant, the next person in command here."

Reporter
"Have you ever known him to be of short tempered because that might presume that that might had been a factor in him using excessive force on Mr. Rodriguez."

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"I can't sit here and either assassinate Mr. Shal's character or in any way attempt discuss a person's character, not even in the court of law could I do that, unless I am being ask to become a character witness. I know Shal for a number of years and I don't know him to be anybody of that sort. I know him to be a humble little fellow that I know. But to elaborate I really can't. It's not fair to him, or to me or to anybody to do that."

A topic that he was more willing to discuss was the investigation in the home invasion of the Canadian couple. As we told you, Tyson Rodriguez was the main suspect in that crime, and he was allegedly spotted in the couple's stolen vehicle which ended all the way in the Corozal District. Well, on Wednesday, Placencia's Commanding Officer told the media that there is no doubt in the mind of the victims, Tyson Rodriguez was one of the 3 men who attacked them, and inflicted extreme physical abuse on Elderly woman:

Reporter
"Did they point out Mr. Rodriguez as being the culprit?"

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"They have. He had been positively identified by the way if statements as the main perpetrator; the person who actually and physically assaulted the woman. He is the person who is responsible according to her. She saw him and she was overly emotional when she saw the picture. She immediately recognized him as being the person who inflicted those savage beating to her."

Reporter
"How about the other 2 suspects?"

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"The other two suspects we know who they are. One of them was identified in a similar fashion and the third one, we are depending on fingerprint analysis. We know who they are and we are waiting their return from Canada. They have gone to seek medical attention which is urgent; surgery and that sort of thing. As soon as they come back we will lay charges."

Reporter
"Will you be able to tell us what were their reactions in regards to the arrest of the other culprit?"

Inspector Mark Flowers - OC, Placencia Police
"They are not here. They are in Canada. They had to go immediately because of the wound to her eye. She was advised that the sooner she gets to a doctor the quicker she will be relieved of the pain. She has lost hearing in one of her ears. She was beaten until one of her eardrum was damaged. It was urgent that they go for medical treatment."

According to Inspector Mark Flowers, the expatriate communities living on the peninsula have initiated a closer relationship with Placencia Police. They have started a tighter community watch, and they've also started citizen patrols with the Placencia police officers.

Channel 7


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Sergeant Accused Of Murder; Will Cops Who Backed Him Up Be Charged?

Last week, we showed you the latest on the alleged murder of Tyson Rodriguez, an apparent victim of deadly police brutality. The DPP found that based on an eyewitness account, there was enough to charge Sergeant Julio Shal for murder. That effectively refuted that statement he gave that Rodriguez escaped and then turned up dead. But all 3 officers who were present at the time gave their bosses the very same version of events, basically that he drowned after jumping out of the moving police vehicle.

So now, it would seem that the other officers who corroborated Shal's account were lying. Today, we asked the Acting Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura, if the officers are facing any disciplinary charges. Here's what he told us:

ACP Miguel Segura
"The criminal aspect we are working with the D.P.P., and the D.P.P. will guide us to continue the proceeding. Infernally, similarly after looking at the criminal we will deal with our internal aspect. But first and foremost the closure that the family feels, and the evidence that means the threshold in the court of law, the D.P.P. is there to assist us. Internally we are investigating that case and we will proceed based on the findings."

Daniel Ortiz
"I am speaking specifically to the fact that the officers - it would seem from an outsider that they have tried to protect Sergeant Shal by providing evidence which is in line with what he has said, given that fact, are you guys looking at what they have told you for disciplinary purposes as well against these officers if that evidence is shown to be accurate?"

ACP Miguel Segura
"Once we have that evidence, the difference between our disciplinary codes, internal issues and the criminal. In the criminal aspect you have to prove beyond reasonable doubt. Internally, the threshold of that is more minimal that once we could have that evidence and prove it that our police act was violated we will proceed. But we are guided by what is available."

As we've told you, the elderly Canadian woman who was assaulted identified Rodriguez as one of the three men who invaded their home and assaulted her. She is currently away receiving medical treatment for those injuries.

Channel 7


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The cover up on Caye Caulker was swept under the rug. This guy was fleeing on a bike and shot, he did not present any harm to the police. How do I know this, well it was witnessed by someone sitting on their porch. This was not a Belizean, a person with no interest either way. Is this the same Officer that was transferred off Caye Caulker for drinking in uniform and shooting at dogs in crowed places during the day? I am not undermining the criminal act or acts of this young man, but bad cops should be fired, not transferred.


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