Police issue statement on death of detainee

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Hilberto Sotz

Belize City, Belize. Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The Belize Police Department today released a statement on the death of a teenager who was in police custody in Caye Caulker village on Monday evening.

18 year old Hilberto Sotz died around 5 pm on Monday and residents of the village gathered in numbers in front of the police station and health clinic.

The police statement starts by extending “deepest condolences to the family and friends grieving the loss of Mr. Hilberto Sotz.”

It goes on to say that Commissioner Allen Whylie assures the family “as well as the citizenry that an expeditious, thorough and transparent criminal, as well as internal investigation is presently underway and any evidence of wrong doing will be promptly dealt with.”

The promise is that the results of the internal police investigation will be made public “at the earliest.”

Police investigate death of teenager

The official police version of events that transpired between the time that Sotz was taken into custody and the time his body left the police station as detailed in the statement issued this morning via the Police Press Officer is as follows:

“On Monday June 8, 2015 at 11:50 am, 18-year-old Hilberto Sotz of Bahia Puesto Del Sol, Caye Caulker Village was detained at Caye Caulker police station pending investigation into a series of burglaries. Sometime around 5:00pm, while being interviewed, he reportedly started complaining of chest pain and had difficulty breathing. He was rushed to the poly clinic for medical treatment where he passed away. Unfortunately, this situation led to concern villagers who surrounded the Poly clinic and the Police Station where some of those persons present threw missiles, causing minimal damage to the building and its contents. The movement of the police and others working within both buildings were impeded by the gathering. Warning shots were fired in the air in an effort to ward off those persons. A golf cart loaned to the police valued at some $13,000 was stolen while parked at the Poly clinic and was recovered in the early morning of Tuesday June 9, 2015.”

Father of the deceased

In the aftermath of what transpired on Monday afternoon and evening, Commissioner Whylie says that a team of senior investigators has been sent to Caye Caulker from Belize City to conduct “a thorough investigation … to determine the circumstances leading to the detention and the passing of Mr. Hilberto Sotz, whose body now lies at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Morgue.”

Furthermore, the police statement says that “two police officers are presently detained pending the outcome of investigation.”

Caye Caulker residents protest

The police say that the situation was brought under control late last night and that reinforcement for the Caye Caulker police was sent in from Belize City and San Pedro town.

“Peace and normalcy were restored around 11:00 pm,” the official statement says.

Regarding the impromptu gathering of Caye Caulker residents, the police statement ends by saying that “while citizens have the right to assemble and protest, they do not have the right to destroy the property of others be it public or private nor restrict the movement of other citizens from conducting lawful business.”

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