Email

Print

When we got there later this morning the GSU was still on what had turned form a search target to a crime scene. Here's what happened:

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Just before 5 this morning the Gang Suppression Unit was in the process of executing a search warrant at #1 Primrose Street in Belmopan City. The purpose was for drugs and firearm."

Jules Vasquez Reporting
This is the vehicle that the GSU used to launch themselves unto and over Menjivar's fence at number one Primrose Street at 4:00 this morning.

The GSU says they were met with hostile fire almost immediately. Which penetrated their Toyoa Hilux and punctured one of their tires.

Bullet holes were also visible all over the house.

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"At the time of arrival the themes knock on the door and inform the occupants that it is the police and immediately thereafter shots were fired from inside the house towards the officers. Immediately our officers took cover and the officers continue to say that it is the police even though shots continue to fire. They didn't responded, I must say that the unit exercise a lot of restraint because we are aware that there are other occupants including children inside the house, so for that reason there was a lot of suppression fire hoping that the person would eventually just surrender. This was not the case, eventually the house was breach. The person was barricaded inside the house, this is when I arrive and I spoke to the occupant to surrender himself. He was inside one of the rooms, I suppose it is the master bedrooms and eventually he was subdued and he had a firearm at the time when he was apprehended. Let me just clarify something that all the Gang Suppression Unit Officers were in uniform. They identified themselves as police officers so there is no way that it would have been disputed that they were not police officers attending to execute a search warrant."

Jules Vasquez
"Was the of what you say is suppression fire, was it proportional? We've heard accounts that police open fire with extreme lack of restraint and "shot up the man house". Was it proportional use of suppressing fire?"

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Well when you talk about proportional gun fire - in these cases you have to understand that when a police officer's life is threatened he will not count how many bullets he will engage in order to neutralize that problem. Fortunately there was no fatality in the incident. It could have been a disastrous situation but we were abl to operate professionally with a lot of constraint."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there any way he may nt have known that it was the police? That he may have thought that it was an intruder who had breach his fortress like fence?"

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Not so because from my understanding he look through the window and he would have been able to see the officers in uniform and the only time that the police fired was when they were being fired upon."

Reporter
"So you don't believe that breaching the outer wall may have given some indication to the person inside that they may have been under attack?"

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU

"No so because breaching the fence may not have alerted anyone inside the house. Our officers are train to operate in stealth mode, so they breaching that fence wound given.... and they don't have cameras, so it's not like they say they saw us on camera, therefore they reacted to that. Once they were at the door they inform the occupants that there was a warrant and that they were about to execute the warrant. There was no need for the persons inside to respond to gun fire. Our officers lives were threaten because there were gunfire close to their face."

Jules Vasquez
"You said that shots were flying close to their head. is that an exaggeration?"

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Certainly will not be an exaggeration because the officers did not expect that kind of gunfire coming from inside the house. these were officers that were inside the building covering the rear so when they were coming closer to the house then the fire just ran off in their direction and they are saying that they could have just hear the hissing near to their ears."

Of course bullets from the GSU were also hissing through the house and those of neighbors:

Marion Alley, Reporter
"Some of the residents say that shots were flying. One lady told us specifically that a shot flew right past her head which could have hit her and she claims that it is from the Gang Suppression Unit."

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"I expect that coming from them. Shots were fire at the officers coming from the rear of the building. There is actually impacts on the establishment which is a clear indication that it came from inside the house. The Gang Suppression is train in operating these firearms and they will not randomly shoot if they cannot see their target so it is that the police officers were in any way indiscriminately firing gunshots."

Jules Vasquez
"Explain specifically what is meant by the term suppressing fire?"

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Suppressing fire is enough to try to contain a given area so that the person would then realize that he would have to surrender immediately. It was not in any way design to just fatality shoot the person. Because our officers are train enough to hit their target so that that could have been the case. In this case like I said we exercise a great deal of restraint."

Menjivar is the owner of La Cabana restaurant which is adjacent to his home - which will also be searched.

These are relatives who came on the scene shortly after the search started - they look like that because the GSU ordered them on the ground before they were searched.

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"What happen is that these persons at the time of the incident they came into the area, they were intercepted and a search was conducted on a vehicle, but when we are complete with the exercise inside the house then we will decide that will take us."

And while the relatives had to wait in cuffs - a pair of dogs who got in the GSU's way were not so lucky:

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"There were two dogs that were kill. They were shot because they were coming after the police officers. The police officers were trying to deal with that situation and at the same time dealing with the fact that shots were being at them from inside the house."

Concerned neighbors and friends gathered nearby - but the GSU was hardly sympathetic after coming under fire:

Marco Vidal, Commander - GSU
"Definitely he will be facing charges for aggravating assault upon the officers and he will also be charge for attempted murder and damage to property upon the vehicle. and of course if we search and find other offences then he will certainly be charge along with the other occupants of the house for the offences."

The search finished around 5:30 this evening - completing 13 hours since the GSU arrived at the home. Mike Menjivar was taken to the Belmopan police station looking badly beaten up, according to those who saw him. One report says that he has a broken jaw.

The house as we understand it is a mess, riddled with bullet holes and in complete disarray. According to our reports, the only items of note found by the GSU were some US currency, quetzals and pesos equivalent in total to 1,900 Belize dollars. These will be assessed by income tax and the US currency will be tested to see if they are genuine.

But even with nothing illegal found in the home, as mentioned in the story, Mike Menjivar will be charged with multiple counts of attempted murder upon the GSU officers, and other offences for which remand is automatic. The GSU says it was acting on information received.