Troy Polonio Jr., a 20 year-old resident of Raccoon Street Extension in Belize City, passed away this weekend, after he was shot and killed. Polonio, who recently became a new dad, was holding his one-year-old son when the shooter attacked.
Police say that at around 8:45 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2019, they received information of a shooting a short distance from their Raccoon Street Police Headquarters. When they responded, they were informed that the victim was rushed to the KHMH in the hopes he could receive life-saving medical treatment. When the police visited the hospital, the authorities there identified the injured person as Polonio. He suffered a gunshot injury to the back, and that bullet exited through his chest.
Polonio’s family has spoken with the press, and they say that on that night, he went to spend time with his son and his girlfriend at her home on Raccoon Street. She lives a few blocks away from his is own family home. He was standing on the street in front of her yard, and he was holding his son, while he waited for her to arrive. While Polonio was busy looking after his baby, a gunman snuck up on him and fired gunshots at him. Polonio reacted fast enough to get his son out of harm’s way, but he wasn’t so fortunate. One of those bullets injured him, and shortly after the attack, he died.
This entire attack happened a few hundred yards away from the Police Department’s Raccoon Street Headquarters, and as a result, the cops have been criticized for their response time, which they say was as rapid as they could manage. They asserted that as soon as they were informed that the incident had taken place, they responded, but by that time, the shooter had already fled the scene.
Polonio’s dad, Troy Sr., has told the press that he believes he came across his son’s killer when that man was trying to escape from the crime scene. He said that he wanted to pursue the gunman, but responding officers prevented him from doing so for his own safety.
The family of Troy Polonio assert that he has absolutely no connection to the street violence that ended up claiming his life. They say that he was a hard-working father, who socialized mainly with his family at his home.
His aunt, Paula Ramclam, told the press, “He is a hard-working young man, and a dedicated father, who is dedicated to his son and his baby’s mother. He’s always working hard. He doesn’t go anywhere. He stays home with us, the family in the yard…He loves his music.”
