7 News Belize

Frowns All Around on Football Fracas
posted (March 6, 2019)
We also asked Saldivar - to put on his hat as a sports team owner - about the ugly football fracas that happened at Isidoro Beaton Stadium two nights ago. That's the home field for his Belmopan Bandits and on Monday night the University of Belize and Galen University football teams were playing a match for the ATLIB tournament when a fight broke out. Off duty police officers pulled their weapons to and one of them fired warning shots to defuse the situation.

One of the players happens to be on Saldivar's Bandits and he discussed it today as did the Police Commissioner:...

Hon. John Saldivar, Owner - Belmopan Bandits
"It was very sad. When I saw the incident it was very disappointing. I'm sure that the 2 institutions involved will be dealing with the players involved in that very unfortunate incident. I can tell you though as the president of Bandits we've already acted in terms of the one player that plays on our football club. That person has been suspended for 3 games pending the result of investigations by the university and by the FFB who may choose to take further sanctions against that player and other players that are involved. So that is my position on that. With respect to the firing of weapons, my understanding from reading the reports from the officers because it has now been confirmed that they were off-duty police officers who were attending the game and when they saw the fight breakout and the crowd swarming the field, they took to the field to try to control the manner in the best way they could and that included firing a few warning shots. I know that the officers have been commended by the organizers of the game, in being able to bring the matter to a quick conclusion before any further injuries."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, but as lover of the big poetry of the beautiful game and a team owner, I can't imagine that you must feel offended to see gunshots fired on football field. That must hurt your heart."

Hon. John Saldivar, Owner - Belmopan Bandits
"One of the things about policing is there is no script. There is no textbook that we can follow how to deal with situations as they unfold and those officers had to use their best judgement as to how to bring the matter under control and they felt that firing warning shots was the best way. We can never tell whether it was right or wrong. The situation was defused and so we have to assume that their act acting and intervening at that time was a part of why it was defused without any major injury."

Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Was that justifiable and in the best interest of public safety?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That's a very funny, touchy one. I look at the video and I must say that I am disturbed by what I saw, not only from the officers who discharged the firearm, but also from the students who were apart of the game. It is sad to see that we have young people who are at university or college level who seemingly don't understand what sportsmanship is all about. The officers who were there off-duty no doubt had to decide their minds at that moment what can they do to stop these young people from continuing fighting and maybe even eventually seriously injuring each other and though it may not have been the best thing to do for them to take out the firearm and discharge it the way they did, I put myself in their position, if it were me what would I have done? Maybe I would have done the same thing. The objected of the officers wanted to achieve then was to have the students stop fighting and to discharge the firearm in the air, I could work with it."

The University of Belize today issued a statement saying, quote, "The University of Belize (UB) and Galen University strongly condemn the violence that took place during last night's ATLIB football match...Internally, we are investigating the incident and will collaborate with each other and with the ATLIB Sport authority in its investigation and disciplinary process. Both Universities will work together with ATLIB and with our students to ensure such violence does not escalate and reoccur."

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