7 News Belize

Man Critical After Police Negligence in Cellblock
posted (June 7, 2019)
Colin Francis stabbed a psychiatric nurse and was charged for attempted murder yesterday; tonight - he has other serious charges pending, after a man who he beat up in the Queen Street cell block is in critical condition at the KHMH.

Nestor Vasquez Jr. is at the KHMH clinging to life after receiving massive head injuries - allegedly inflicted by Francis in a vicious cell block beatdown.

Police have responded quickly to what they concede is a case of negligence. And tonight, 3 police officers from Precinct 3, Sergeant Shawn Walton, who was the executive duty officer at the station, and Police Constables Edward Pitterson and Bernard Cayetano are on interdiction with half-pay, and are facing disciplinary charges.

A police press release reports that at around 2:15 p.m yesterday, Walton was informed of a fight between 2 prisoners in Cell #2. When he responded, he found 60 year-old Nestor Vasquez Jr., a laborer from Graduate Crescent, on the floor of the cellblock bleeding profusely from the face. The officers also saw swelling, and a cut wound to his head. He was rushed to the KHMH, where he is clinging to life.

The police press release on the incident says, quote, "The Commissioner of Police…condemned this gross act of negligence on the part of the officer's concern. He has since ordered both a criminal and internal investigation into this incident….the Executive Duty Officer at the time as well as the two officers assigned to cell block duties were fully aware of the case of both prisoners; therefore, they ought to have ensured that the two prisoners were not detained in the same cell." End quote.

The Vasquez family's attorney Leslie Mendez has also issued a statement saying, quote, "The family is outraged and disgusted at the inhumanity displayed by officers, who decided to place two individuals, suffering from mental illness in the same cell. We do not accept that this was merely an act of negligence. Rather, this was a deliberate and sadistic act. The officers were fully aware of the mental health of both detainees and were fully aware that Collin Francis had demonstrated violent instability having been recently charged with attempted murder. As a result of such a callous and unthinking act, Nestor Vasquez, Jr was brutally attacked and is currently clinging to his life having sustained substantial and horrific head injuries." The Vasquez family says that police still have not given them a precise explanation of what happened and over what time span.

We'll have an update on Monday.

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