7 News Belize

Wild Shootout and Chase in City
posted (March 28, 2014)
Mahogany Street is one of the most trafficked thoroughfares in Belize City - but this afternoon pedestrians ran for cover and drivers ducked behind their steering wheels, as dozens of shots were fired in a high speed chase.

It played out at around 1:40 - when multiple police units were pursuing a private van. Most of it played out on Mahogany street where a red Van was seen firing shots near the complex building. Police came behind, firing after the van, and as it sped away east on Mahogany Street. That's where a GSU Patrol was waiting. The van was heading right for them as the GSU let off gunshots - but they didn't shoot out the tyres and the van darted down a side street. The GSU followed, but the van eluded them, and re-emerged unto Mahogany Street where another police vehicle set chase, gunshots firing the whole time. But the van got away from them both - and while they shot the van, it kept going. Incredible, under chase from at least three police vehicles, the driver of the van got to his home on Santa Barbara Street which is two blocks from Mahogany street. That's where police caught him.

But that's not where they started chasing him - that started after a shooting in the area of Collett Canal about one and a half miles away from Mahogany Street and that's where our story starts:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
This the vehicle that Joshua Lewis pulled up to the Precinct one police station in. The bullet hole through the rear window the blood on the car and on the sidewalk in front of the precinct office - show that this is where he came for help In precinct two this is the vehicle that police pursued to Santa Barbara Street - police scenes of crime personnel were searching it for bullet fragments.

The driver pulled up here on Santa Barbara Street at his house after a chase through Mahogany Street - a chase in which police say he fired at them. He was arrested

And his bullet riddled van was taken into police custody.

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Driver of Van
"What we have been able to ascertain so far is that he was being shot at. The police conducted an extensive search of the area. No weapon was found, they search his house and no weapon was found and the police came on him a short while after he was shot at, so there is no weapon that he was using. I only spoke to my client Mr. Marquin Drury and had some bullet grazes on him. As I said he has some grazes on his knees, he had one on his face below his left eye and he had one somewhere on his arm."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, I spoke to the father of your client just now and he indicated that in fact certain PIV gang elements had been targeting his son and his son was in fact fleeing fire not initiating fire."

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Driver of Van
"That is my instructions and all the evidence points to that. When you look at the Astro van, there are about 4-5 bullet holes that I saw; two in the windshield, some in the door, one in the back and the police are saying somehow that they found bullet slugs in the vehicle and I think that is what they are going to use to try to charge my client."

Jules Vasquez
"Multiple accounts are saying that fire was coming from that vehicle and it was happening on the Mahogany Street area, which somebody from inside that vehicle was firing at the police who had set up a road block. What's your comment on that?"

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Driver of Van
"Well it is an early stage. If there are witnesses I hope they come forward and give statements so that when this matter goes to court they can be cross examined to see if they are really telling the truth."

Jules Vasquez
"From all the evidence of guns being fired, is it amazing that no one was hurt? You saw all the puncture holes on the van."

Bryan Neal, Attorney for Driver of Van
"That is so and I was very surprised. I was teasing my client that he is an angel of God because he has a bullet graze right under his left eye. If that had gone one inch to the left he would have been dead."

Neal says they intend to charge his client for attempted murder.

The driver of the van remains detained pending charges. Incredible, despite all the shots fired in a wide open public space at the height of the afternoon, there are no reports of anyone being injured during the chase.

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