Police Detainee Alex Goff was killed by Constable Alpheus Parham, at 6:15 on Sunday evening at the Caye Caulker Police station. Within 24 hours, Police had charged Constable Parham with murder. In the context of the recent investigations into cop killings and shootings the 24 hour turnaround is nothing short of extraordinary. In the other three confirmed police killings that have happened this year - the investigations have gone on indefinitely. But not so this time. Just as public uproar was about to flare up against the department, the 34 year old Parham was charged - without going to the DPP; without waiting for the coroner's report; or the ballistics reports - or all those other things that have been holding up the other investigations.
And while it is welcomed by the family of the deceased, the swiftness with which police have brought charged in a case where there is no eyewitness puts a lie to the long process of foot dragging and red-tape that has attended all the other investigations.
But lie or not, Alpheus Parham was taken to the court like any other criminal this morning - paraded in front of the media as he covered his head. The police department - which it seems is only too eager to get his picture out - facilitated the media with a photo of the constable. We note that such pictures are only very rarely sent to the media. He was arraigned on a single charge of murder and was remanded to prison until June fourteenth.
Goff's sisters went to court to view the arraignment and told our cameras that they hope he is convicted.
Noreen Goff, Sister of deceased
"Thank God that they charged him for murder."
Marie Grant, sister of deceased
"When he goes to court and they charg him for murder we hope it stays."
Rowland Parks, reporter
"He has already been charged."
Marie Grant, sister of deceased
"Yes we know he has already been charged, but he is a police officer and in Belize when a police officer gets charged that doesn't mean that they will go to jail or that they will serve their time for the crime they have committed. We want that when he comes back to court in June they find him guilty. Because right now it's just arraigned. We want him to be found guilty because it is murder, there is no doubt that it is murder. They are not telling us anything about it and they are not doing anything about it, so we are angry. What we want is for justice to prevail. We don't want to hear that he gets charged for manslaughter. We don't want to hear that he pleaded not guilty because of self defense, we don't want to hear anything like that, we want to hear that he serve his time for murder. That is what we want."
Rowland Parks, reporter
"Well you know the sentence for murder is lifetime imprisonment."
Marie Grant, sister of deceased
"They can hang him for all I care. That would be the better sentence for me."
Parham allegedly shot Goff in the head as Goff sat in the jail cell. After he shot him, he turned to the weapon to the drawer and walked out of the police station. He turned himself in the following morning.
According to our reports, he told police that he fired the weapon accidentally. Goff was hit in the center of his forehead.
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