The Belize Police have launched an investigation into the origin of a brief video released on social media depicting a group of young men brandishing firearms.
Media reports said the individuals are believed to be active members of a Belize City gang. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, said the Gang Intelligence, Investigation, and Interdiction Unit (G13) is heading the investigation.
“It is very disturbing, to say the least. To see, again, that we have some gang elements who believe that they can be showing off with their weapons on social media, in an intimidating fashion, towards their rivals and even maybe, perhaps, the general public,” Williams said.
“The video, to say the very least, is one that can be looked at as a way of promoting some gang activity, and so I have forwarded that video to the GI3 investigation team, and they are working on it to see if will be able to levy charges against those persons involved.
“We have identified all the parties in the video, and I am hoping that very soon we should be able to levy charges against them for using a video to promote gang activity. The fact remains that they produced the video,” Williams said, adding “it is not that someone forced their hands or edited a video and put them in a video that they were not a part of.
“The video is original and was created by them and, again, with illegal weapons. So if they want to raise that defense, it certainly will be a matter for the court to determine if in fact they are going to allow that defense to exonerate them from the charges,” he added.
Meanwhile, Williams said the Belize Police Department is working overtime this weekend to ensure that the New Year’s festive season continues without much incident and that in the old capital, officers will be deployed on foot and mobile patrols.
“We know that there are going to be a number of activities bringing in the New Year, and so, again, our presence at those activities is going to be important to ensure that law and order is maintained. “
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