Arrests Made in Murder of Police Officer: Justice Promised for Fallen Hero

Investigators have detained the men they believe murdered Police Constable Dylan Anthony, and are now working to lay charges. On Friday, the 29-year-old was gunned down as he headed home in western Belize. Just before 9 o’clock, he was targeted by two men on a motorcycle and died shortly after collapsing on the Roaring Creek Bridge. Anthony served in the department for nine years and was stationed in the City of Belmopan. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that the two would often have friendly encounters and shared that he was assured the officer’s family that justice would prevail. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Certainly the death of Anthony is extremely tough for us. Anthony works at headquarters right beside my office and I used to see him every day. A very big, humble, respectable young man. As a matter of fact I always joked with him when I passed him and he always had that good sense of humor and that big smile on his face. I certainly will miss his presence and I want to assure his family that we will do all we can to find those persons who are responsible for his demise. I don’t want to hear that it’s a case of mistaken identity. The fact is they killed someone and as much as yes it bothers us that it’s a police but who the person they killed shouldn’t have to do with it. We currently have the suspects in custody, we believe we have the two gunmen in custody and they are currently being interviewed by the CIB in Belmopan Major Crime and we are hoping that we should be able to make some significant progress by the end of the end of the day today where that murder is concerned.”

Police are hoping to use surveillance footage to bring the gunmen responsible for the murder of Elwin “Bobo” Lewis to justice. Last Friday, the 44-year-old was shot and killed after leaving a store on Antelope Street. Police say Lewis was targeted by men on a motorcycle, who may belong to a splintered faction of the George Street Gang. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams commended Lewis’ ability to reform in recent years and noted that Lewis may have been familiar with his killers. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “I have sat in many interventions with Bobo and he has always been one of the positive ones trying to see how best he can help to quell the issues in the George Street area. Certainly yes his presence working with the LIU is going to be missed. We know that he did had issues with a particular group and again it’s a whole George Street faction as you would know that there is a division in the George Street faction and there was a group that was against him but Bobo had always maintained his cool and despite knowing that that division and that animosity was there he still felt comfortable moving in the area where the other factions were hoping that the fact that he has been an elder that he would be respected. But I guess what he had hoped for did not work out well for him.”

Reporter: How closer is the department in bringing charges against his alleged killers ? 
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “We are working on that. We have a number of video footage that we are viewing, we have very very good clues it’s just a matter of us trying to put the pieces together. I will try to arrange for the investigators to see the DPP with the video footage and see if she will be able to provide some guidance to the police in terms of how we can proceed with the video footage that we currently have.”

Commissioner Williams also provided an update on last Friday’s murder of Nigel Williams. He says that investigators believe Willliam’s murder was gang related. 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “We believe that is a retaliation for the I think shooting death of one of the guy Young that took place a couple months ago.“

Reporter: So Mr.Nigel Williams was gang affiliated ? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Yes he was affiliated with one of the gangs on south side Belize City.”

We’ll continue to provide updates on the police’s investigation into these recent homicides.