A group of onlookers gathered outside the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning as they awaited the arrival of the policeman who was to be charged with the killing of Allyson Major. It would be almost a cat and mouse game as once again, personnel from the police department did their best to shield one of their own as he was taken into the Magistrate’s court precincts.
Corporal Kent Martinez, 36, a Police Constable originally from the Cayo District was sneaked through the back of the court by two police officers in civilian clothes. They escorted him from a black vehicle that came all the way through the back side of the courtrooms near the NICH parking lot. They parked on a street near to the back of the court and one of the officers walked in front of him and the other to the back almost as if shielding him.
Without any of the media houses that were on the verandah noticing what was happening he was whisked passed them so fast, no one realized that it was the officer they were escorting to court. He was taken into the holding cell area to await his arraignment.
Corporal Kent Martinez, who has now been placed on interdiction, was wearing a T-shirt that says, “I am not arguing, I am just explaining why I am right.”
At 10:30, he was escorted into Court #4 where he appeared before Magistrate Michelle Trapp, where he was read a single charge of manslaughter by negligence and not murder for the shooting death of Allyson Major. There was no objection to bail by prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Egbert Castillo. He told the court that there was no need for bail conditions to be set as Martinez is a serving member of the Belize Police department. However Magistrate Michelle Trapp set conditions that he is to surrender all travel documents including his passport. He cannot leave the country without permission of the court. He is not to interfere with the prosecution witnesses whether directly or indirectly and he is to report to the Queen Street police station once a week.
He was then offered bail in the sum of $15,000 and two sureties of the same amount. The matter was adjourned until September 30th.
Allyson Major was shot and killed in downtown Belize City following a high speed chase by police on July 16th which ended at the foot of the Swing Bridge with Major being shot to the back of the head. Police say that when they were chasing Major, who was driving a red pickup truck, he threw out something from out of the vehicle. Police would return to that area and they say they retrieved parcels of marijuana.
