7 News Belize

GSU Foils Armed Robbery In Progress
posted (August 5, 2011)
Over the past few months the controversial Gang Suppression Unit has gotten a bad rap, accused of wanton and excessive use of deadly force.

But last night in Belize City they were at the right place, right time - pulling up just as there was an armed robbery in progress. And this time there was no chance of the police being outgunned or outmatched; as we've shown you the GSU rolls a dozen deep - and that's what poured in to a small Chinese restaurant just as the robber was going into the cash drawer. We watched surveillance video to find out more:…

Jules Vasquez Reporting

M-K Fast Food on Orange Street opened as normal this morning at 9:30 am - inside the attendant was busy setting up the counter but the quiet of the early morning tells nothing of the chaos that unfolded last night.

The attendant showed us the security recording of the event gathered from two cameras perched at opposing angles behind the counter.

At 8:32 pm this woman came in and ordered a burger and right after that the robbers stormed in.

One of them - a Hispanic - wrapped a shirt around his face and went for the cash drawer behind the counter while the other, a dark skinned male - held everyone else at gunpoint. But then suddenly the gunman looked right and dashed behind the counter as well.

That's because the GSU rolled in - and rolled in hard - just 14 seconds after the robbers entered.

They held one behind the counter and ran to the back towards the kitchen area to find the other.

More and more GSU officers piled in and they recovered this weapon, a .357 Magnum Dan Wesson revolver with six rounds of .38 ammunition.

It was recovered from behind the refrigerator in the kitchen where the gunman had run for cover.

One of the cooks told us off camera what he saw when the gunman got back there:

Cook
"By the time we all looked, the dark complexion guy jumped over the counter and tried to exit at the back where we were."

Jules Vasquez
"They tried to run through the back?"

Cook
"Exactly, i figured the space is so small that we kind of blocked his way. He was armed with a black weapon, revolver-like."

Jules Vasquez
"So weren't you afraid that he would use it on you?"

Cook
"You know that went through my mind as the first thing because I knew if he raises that weapon he would be able to hit me. But he actually put down the weapon but not with the intention of hurting anybody. Actually he was panicking from the police entering the building at this point. He was looking at a way to hide the gun."

Jules Vasquez
"Did he manage to conceal it?"

Cook
"He did hide it yes behind one of our refrigerators."

And speaking of refrigerators, this ice cream cooler was damaged - they say - by a GSU bullet:

Cook
"A gun was fired by the police. At the moment it was because the dark complexion man tried to make a run for it so that's why they fired a shot. The moment they fired a shot the Chinese shop keeper just stepped out of the way so that the police can enter the place."

But, they're not complaining. It's their first robbery in recall at this location and they say it was brilliantly foiled:

Cook
"I guess the GSU was at the right place at the right time because I don't know if they smelled it. They passed the exact time these two guys entered. I guess because of the glass you can see inside the restaurant and so they figured something was wrong. I was very impressed about how fast everything happened and how fast the police took control of the situation."

Both suspects are minors, they are only 15 and 17 years old. The GSU says they are from the Taylor's alley and Rocky Road gang.

Both are being held pending charges of kept prohibited firearm, unlicensed ammunition and robbery. Before the GSU got in, the young man with the mask took $100.00Bcy and one I-phone - however both were recovered. Officially, the GSU says it received information of a robbery in progress and a team in the immediate area observed through the glass window that there was an armed robbery in progress.

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