In February of 2024, Acting Police Corporal Durman Dawson was caught on camera at the San Ignacio Police Station emerging from behind the counter and then sexually assaulting a woman constable by grabbing her from behind and fondling her breasts - in plain view of other officers and the station surveillance cameras. When she fought to remove his hand, and slapped him in the face, Dawson then struck the constable across her head. She spun to confront him - and he raised his hand to slap her again. That's when other officers patiently intervened and sent him about his business. Dawson was charged with 1 count of harm and 1 count of sexual assault - and here's what the Commissioner's reaction was at the time:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Jules, if you would sit in my conference, you would know what my reaction was when I saw that. I found that video to be extremely disgusting and troubling. And right away upon seeing it, I gave directive that the police corporal, be arrested and charged and interdicted from duty."
"And my exact words were this, I'm going to tell you. I'm just going to remove the profanities. That we are in an organisation where men believe that this is a man's job. We have gone beyond that now. This is no longer a man's job. It is a job for both men and women. And as male or as men in this organisation, we must respect our women counterparts."
Jules Vasquez
"Is he fit to continue in a police department?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"That will be a decision to be made by the tribunal when they hear the matter or if he's convicted by in the courts, certainly he will have to go."
And, the Tribunal has decided. As of December 20th, Truman Dawson was dismissed from The Belize Police Department for "Prejudice to Good order and Discipline", "Striking a member of the Belize Police Department" and "Engaging in conduct which is determined by the Commissioner of Police to be of a major consequence".
Dawson has 21 days to appeal. And he also still has a pending criminal charges of harm and sexual assault - and the trial for that begins next week.
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