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Yesterday, we showed you the Caye Caulker residents who rioted against police after they discovered that 18 year-old Hilbert Sotz died while in police custody. They were convinced that the Caye Caulker police were hiding that 2 of their own brutalised the teenager, and killed him. Well tonight, the department has responded with a huge statement. The two officers who were suspected of abusing Sotz, were charged with murder. Everyone else who was in the station at the time, and who may have stood by and watched, heard, or said nothing as he was brutalised were placed on interdiction pending the outcome of this case.

To our knowledge, that kind of stiff, sweeping decisive action from the top police brass has not happened before.

Now to the two officers themselves, 32 year old Police Constable Hallet King, and 43 year-old Detective Leonard Nunez, 43, both residents of Caye Caulker were arraigned late this evening. It almost happened without the entire press knowing, which is standard operations at the court when police have been criminally charged. The outward face of the high command of the department is to ensure the media and public get to as much information as possible about such crimes and accused persons. But, the officers who actually handle the logistics of getting accused police officers to court do their very best to dodge the media.

This evening, when they were rushed before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, they were read a single charge of murder. Because there is no plea taken and no bail available for the accused officers, it meant that they were given a remand date of July 14. They were then quickly rushed into a police van and then taken to the Belize Central Prison.