7 News Belize

Trio of Cops For Murder
posted (March 8, 2016)
Three police officers in San Pedro were charged for murder following the vicious beat down of Bartender 30 year old Edwin Ixpatac. At around 4 pm today three of them were shamefully paraded to the magistrate's court in Belize City where they were read charges of murder. They are Police Constables Reydel Teck, Romelio Logan, and Jahsimir Cob. But just what lead the Police Department to criminally charge three of their own? Emanuel Pech reports.

30 year old Edwin Ixpatac, a resident of Cayo began working as a bartender here at Caprice Bar and Grill a couple years ago. On a regular day he would be here serving drinks for guests at Holiday Hotel and other visitors who frequent this bar.

Jonathan Garcia- Bartender, Caprice Bar and Grill
"All of us worked as a team and so we try to make everything go good throughout the day. He was a hard working person."

And just what made him such an excellent worker? Well his four year old daughter was his biggest motivation.

Patricia Romero - Waitress, Caprice Bar and Grill
"He actually has a 4 year old daughter. This month she was going to complete 4 years old. He wanted 2 days off which we talked a lot about that and he was going to plan a small little party for her and that was his plan. He really loved his daughter very much and I think that's why he was working very hard."

But all those plans came to nothing when we he died yesterday morning as a result of injuries received during a vicious beat down on Thursday.

There were indications that he had been drinking at the pier at Banyan Bay and was acting disorderly. Two on duty police officers responded to the scene and found him next to the sea wall; injured.

But he was not taken directly to the polyclinic. Instead he was detained until Friday morning when authorities realized he was lying in his cell unconscious. He was taken to the poly clinic and later transported to KHMH where he died.

The matter would have ended there but strong evidence including video footage suggested that he was abused by three officers and as the post mortem revealed - he died from a blunt to the head which investigators believed he received during his detention.

ACP Bernard Lino - Head of Professional Standards Branch
"From our point what we had done, we had placed the 3 officers and their supervisor Sgt. Berry on interdiction, because the sergeant was the person who was in charge of the police station. So he have been interdicted along with the 3 constables. Besides that, I have placed them disciplinary charges which are prejudice to good order and discipline for the act that they have committed against the now deceased Mr. Ixpatac."

Then there was the criminal aspect of the case, which lead investigators to charge three of the four men for murder.

Sup. Hilberto Romero - O C, CIB, Eastern Division
"Several statements have been recorded. The video footage has been reviewed. A post mortem has been conducted by Dr. Mario Estradabran and at this point there is sufficient evidence and we have now proceeded to charged 3 of these officers for murder. They are Reydel Teck, Romelio Logan, and Jahsimir Cob - all police constables attached to the San Pedro police formation."

This is another heavy blow to the image that police department has strived to build since Hilberto Sotz's murder in 2015 which sparked a rage of controversy.

ASP Desiree Phillips- O C, Eastern North Division
"The Ministry of National Security of course and the police department is very saddened by this incident. We know that a lot of persons have been hurt by this incident, not only the family and friends of the deceased for which we offer our deepest condolence, but as well the family of the police officers and the community of San Pedro and the wider society is also grieving and hurting by an incident like this. But I just want to assure the general public that the police department is doing everything in our powers to ensure that a fair, swift and transparent investigation is being conducted as you see here today."

Sister of Deceased
"After this we need do another, because I don't feel like this is just a process. The people who did this are still standing there, but my brother is not there anymore."

Reporting for 7 news Emanuel Pech

Authorities have confirmed that there was administrative neglect on the part of Sergeant Raymond Berry, the officer in Command who will be dealt with internally. Meanwhile friends and family of the deceased are planning a peace rally this week in memory of Edwin Ixpatac.

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