The Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Edward Broaster is promising a, “fair and impartial investigation,” into the death of 36 year old Allyson Major. According to police, the well known teacher of Belize City was being pursued sometime around 3:45p.m. on Tuesday July 16 as he was driving a burgundy GMC Sierra pickup in Belize City. According to a report, the police began the pursuit on George Street and onto Dean Street and then Southern Foreshore. That would mean that Major drove contrary to the flow of traffic on Dean Street heading towards Southern Foreshore. Again police say that he was observed, “throwing items onto the street.” Before reaching the Foreshore area the police say Major took a left into Regent Street, where another police vehicle also took up the pursuit.
It was during the pursuit that police opened fire at the pickup with Major being hit causing him to lose control of his vehicle colliding into a bus at the foot of the Swing Bridge. When police approached the vehicle Major was found inside the vehicle with gunshot injuries. Police are not disclosing how many times he was hit or to what part of the body. Major was taken out of the vehicle and placed in a police vehicle and taken to the Karl Huesner Memorial where he died at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday July 17.
Police say that when they returned to the area where Major was seen throwing items, they found 118.9 grams of cannabis. There were no drugs or any weapon found inside the vehicle he was driving.
The entire matter has raised a firestorm of criticism against the department. That police officers would open fire on a fleeing vehicle in the thick of traffic in downtown Belize City and eventually killing him when he could have been detained otherwise. Deputy Compol Broaster in a press conference stated that two simultaneous investigations will be conducted, one by the Professional Standards Branch and the other by Officer Commanding Crimes Investigation Branch, Alejandro Cowo. Broaster told the media that it is police for policy officers not to open fire at fleeing vehicles. He expressed that those responsible will be dealt with.
And while the police conduct their investigation, there is little that can be done to placate the family. On Wednesday afternoon they along with their attorney Kareem Musa met with Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, Rt. Col. George Lovell. Following that meeting, he told the press that “it is a very unfortunate incident which resulted in the loss of life. We felt that in the ministry we reach out to the family. If the officers who have been named in this very unfortunate incident are found culpable the full extent of the law should be applied.”
