Police Deny Allegations of Abuse by Jamaican National Christopher McIntyre

The Belize Police Department has denied the allegations of police abuse by Jamaican national Christopher McIntyre. Yesterday, the department issued a release on the conclusion of its investigation into claims made by McIntyre, who was denied entry to the country on December 30. Police say that while McIntyre claimed he was beaten by police at Phillip Goldson International Airport (PGIA), his claim is unsubstantiated. The investigation, which was initiated after McIntyre alleged that he was assaulted by a cop while in custody, looked at various angles. The department says it reviewed CCTV footage and interviewed individuals to ensure a thorough and impartial inquiry. According to police, the footages disprove McIntyre’s claim and captures the officer following established protocols to de-escalate a situation that could have escalated further. Additionally, yesterday, the Commissioner Police Chester Williams told the media he believed McIntyre had put on a show and was untruthful about being hit by police. However, while footage of the incident has been released by police, McIntyre’s attorney, Norman Rodriguez says the police cherry-picked the surveillance footage. 

Norman Rodriguez, Attorney: “I cannot argue with the commissioner when he says that the man was behaving boisterously because that is what the police would see it as. All I see is that a man who wanted to leave peacefully, because that is what me and Ms. Mai agreed on would happen on that day. And based on his instructions he was forgotten and it was at the point when the plane was to leave or had left that they noticed that he was there and he was told well you missed your plane. I would have behaved a certain way because he had his reasons for wanting to go back and the purpose of his intended visit had already been defeated when he was refused entry. His birthday had already passed but the commissioner continued to say that the man nobody touched him and he threw himself on the ground. Take a look at the video. Everybody who is hearing my voice or seeing me, take a look at the video again and you will see that an officer had his hand on the backpack or the man’s shirt at the back and you will see that just before he threw himself down. We don’t know what happened between that hand and his backpack or his shirt. While he was on the ground the commissioner is saying that they dragged him in or they helped him or picked him up to some extent. No, look at the video again. You will see that the man was held by his shirt here and dragged roughly into the room. If that is, that says a lot because it can support what he’s alleging happened inside that room but we don’t have footages for that. So how can the commissioner say that did not happen? He said nobody could confirm what he alleges, but nobody denies it either. So again, I am grateful that we have the due process and that it is a judge who will decide eventually what really happened or did not happen in that room.”

The police also stated in its release that the officers acted in accordance with their training, prioritizing a calm resolution while ensuring the rights and dignity of all individuals involved.