Soldier fatally shot during altercation with colleague while on patrol in Belize

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Police are investigating the death of a member of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) who was shot and killed while on duty at the Crique Sarco Conservation Post in Toledo, the country’s southernmost district.

The authorities say that another BDF member also suffered gunshot wounds and remains in stable condition in hospital.

The BDF said that the incident occurred late Sunday night and that several soldiers were on duty when an altercation escalated to violence between Private Clive Baizar and Private Alfred Robinson, after which several shots were fired.

Baizar succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, while another patrol member, Brandon Guzman, sustained two gunshot wounds and is currently in stable condition.

Police Commissioner Chester Williams said Robinson has been taken into custody and is currently detained pending further investigation.

Major Roberta Usher, the BDF’s Chief of Staff, said the matter is now being investigated by the police and is not aware whether or not the soldiers were intoxicated.

“Again, the entire patrol, the samples have been taken, and they are going through their process of being investigated. However, on the initial outcome of the commanders on the ground and the commanders at Fairweather Camp, they do not believe alcohol is involved, but we will not know until these results are back,” Usher said.

Brigadier General Azariel Loria said that the use of alcohol cannot be ruled out as yet.

“At this point in time, we do not rule out alcohol. The investigators, we passed the situation, the whole incident, to the police department to investigate it. But we too, we have, we are investigating it parallel to the police department and we are not ruling it out.

“We were requested, as part of the regulations, that they provide blood specimens, blood samples to which all but one complied. So, if the only person that did not comply is the prime suspect of the fatality. But all have been tested, their blood was taken or withdrawn by a qualified doctor in Punta Gorda and the samples were brought to Belize City for tests. So it’s 13 of them and one refused.”

Usher insisted that at the time of the incident, the soldiers were not socialising, but “were on duty at the patrol base.

“The infantry battalion commander has done all the efforts to be made to ensure that the patrol base continues to be secured. The patrol has been replaced. So we have to continue with our operational requirements. All of those have been in place and done already. So the patrol base is secured, and the individuals from the previous patrol have been brought in for their investigation.”

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