Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

San Pedro police were quick to criminally charge two of their own - after a tourist complained of callous cop extortion. 28 year old American Timothy Braun alleged that on the night of Thursday, June 15th, he was in downtown San Pedro, cooling off with a new friend, and smoking a cigarette. That's when three uniformed police officers pulled up in a golf cart and accused him of smoking marijuana. He protested and said it was only tobacco, but the cuffed him, slapped him unto the golf cart and told him they were taking him into the station. But instead, Braun alleges that the cops drove him to a dark area along the Boca del Rio River. That's where they took off his cuffs, and took him to the water's edge, where one of the officers allegedly put a gun to his head and told him that if he did not give them all of his money, he would end up in the river. Braun had every reason to believe they were serious, and told them that his money was at the apartment he had rented in town. The police took him there, and proceeded to properly ransack the place, stealing $500US dollars in the process. He claims that they then shared up the cash right in front of him. According to Braun, the officers told him that if he were to report what happened, there would be consequences.

Not knowing where else to go, Braun emailed his story to the San Pedro Sun the next morning. The editor Tamar Sniffin, called the officer commanding ASP Henry Jemmott who wasted no time in putting the case together. Unlike some formation which wait interminably for the Professional Standards Branch, ASP Jemott and his team brought criminal charges quickly, telling the San Pedro Sun, quote, "There is more than sufficient evidence to get a conviction against these officers."

Two of the three officers were charged as followed: PC Denfield Nelson Ramos was charged with Theft, Extortion and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon - which is a no-bail firearm offense. Special Constable Orlando Mendez was charged with Theft and Extortion. He was offered bail of $5,000 dollars. They both pled not guilty, and Ramos was remanded to Prison for the firearm offence. According to the San Pedro Sun, the third officer PC Malcolm Ramirez was to be charged with Abetment to Theft and Extortion, but has agreed to testify against his colleagues in exchange for immunity.

Jemott is quoted as telling the San Pedro Sun "I have zero tolerance for this behavior….What on Earth were those officers thinking? Trust me, they will pay for these serious, criminal offenses. There are no words for how disgusted I am."

And, he should be especially disgusted; Jemott gave that same PC Ramos a special commendation just 6 months ago for outstanding performance.

But Ramos has been in the news before for shady police practices. He's the one who refused to testify in the case against UDP Minister Mark King in 2013 - casting the case to fall apart. He was placed on interdiction at the time.

But this story does have a happy ending, sort of. The Editor of The San Pedro Sun, the Mayor, and the BTIA office got Braun somewhere else to stay for the rest of his vacation while the San Pedro Town Council provided him with cash and other amenities.

Channel 7


SP Police Officers Behind Bars after Robbing a Tourist at Gunpoint

On Thursday night, June 15th, while smoking a cigarette with a new acquaintance outside of a popular downtown bar and restaurant, Timothy Braun, a 28 year-old tourist from Wisconsin USA, was apprehended by three San Pedro police officers. The officers, who were on a golf cart and dressed in uniform, accused him of smoking marijuana. Braun informed the officers that he was smoking tobacco, but was promptly told they were taking him in for smoking weed. He was handcuffed behind his back and placed on the back seat of the golf cart. According to Braun, the officers drove him to a dark area along the Boca del Rio River just before reaching the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge. Once there, the handcuffs were removed and he was led to the water's edge, where one officer put a gun to his head and stated that if he did not give them all of his money, he would end up in the river. Fearing for his life, Braun explained that his cash was at the Airbnb apartment he had rented in town. The police then drove him to the location, and after he let them in, they ransacked the apartment and stole $500US cash, brazenly dividing up the cash in front of him. According to Braun, the officers told him that if anyone were to ask, he was to say he was drunk and the police escorted him home. They also warned that should he go out again that night, or report what happened, there would be consequences.

Badly shaken, Braun turned to The San Pedro Sun for help, emailing the editor Tamara Sniffin the next morning on Friday the 16th. His message explained what had happened and stated, "The reason I am contacting you is to try and let this story be known, to hopefully prevent corruption of this nature in the future; to expose these criminals for what they are."

After the police report was filed, Sniffin, through the SP BTIA arranged for a different location for Braun to stay, and Mayor Guerrero and the San Pedro Town Council were quick to accommodate the unfortunate tourist during the remainder of his stay, providing him with cash and other amenities. Following Braun's report, Corporal Woods and OC Jemmott diligently investigated the allegations. After interviewing the witness who was smoking with Braun at the time of the incident, reviewing surveillance camera footage and confirming physical descriptions of the officers, OC Jemmott told The San Pedro Sun, "There is more than sufficient evidence to get a conviction against these officers."

Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun


Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 166
W
Offline
W
It's a shame that a few bad cops can spoil the reputation of the dept. Keep up the good work. They should be punished to the full extent of the law.

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 13,675
Offline
'A few bad cops' is exaggerated and lame denial. San Pedro has a large serious problem.


White Sands Dive Shop
https://whitesandsdiveshop.com/
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 166
W
Offline
W
If it is that bad they should change their hiring practice, starting at the top. Making examples of the bad ones might prove a deterrent to others.

Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 133
R
Offline
R
I'm afraid you're looking at an ingrained culture that is not going to change anytime soon.

Third World Country, you know.

Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,461
K
Offline
K
Philandro Castile, a diminishing world power, you know. Nothing gonna change anytime soon what that ingrained culture......


Belize based travel specialist
www.belize-trips.com
[email protected]
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,446
Offline
GOB rotten from the top down, why do we expect the PC's to act any differently than the rest of the government? Continuing immigration scandals, Castro's kids break all kinds of laws and Barrow defends them, etc

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 166
W
Offline
W
You can always hope. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,446
Offline
We first came in 2000 and it has gotten worse each year not better!

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

Compol Comments On Rogue, Tourist-Threatening Cops on San Pedro

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"Very unfortunate and regrettable incident. As I've always indicated the department we do not tolerate wrongdoing as long as it is brought to our attention we will definitely address it. In that case the matter was investigated by the CIB officers out there and they concluded after consulting with our legal officer, that we had sufficient evidence to charge and therefore those officers were charged. There is the issue of free will which you would know each individual has and they as the individual have got to decide if they will do good or do and they do bad, things like this occur and we address them and we address then swiftly."

Reporter
"Are you able to share with us because the charges came rather swiftly, how you all crack the case so quickly?"

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"I wasn't the investigator and so I cannot really share those kind of details, but based on what the commander informed me, I give him certain directives, he comply with those by seeking the advice of our legal advisor as well as the head of the prosecution branch and they were satisfied that we had sufficient evidence to make a case and that's we arrested and charge swiftly."

Reporter
"Is it a concern of yours that these officers it appears abused this tourist who knows very little of how our system work and so because he is an officer if the law, it appear as though he attack or struck on a victim who was helpless so to speak."

Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police
"I am always concern when there are any complaint against police officers and against the department and that why I say we view them seriously and we go all out to either prove or disprove. So whether it was a tourist involved or a local, it's the same principle involved. Officers should be professional and should not be involved in these sort of allege activities."

Channel 7


Page 1 of 3 1 2 3

Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 217 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5