A Chinese businessman, Zhi Lian Zhang, 56, of San Jose Village in Orange Walk, was remanded until October 25 to the Belize Central Prison by the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court on Friday, August 23, on charges of grievous harm, use of deadly means of harm and discharging a firearm in public.
Police reports are that at about 6:30 Wednesday evening, August 21, three men were drinking at Zhang’s store in San Jose, when Zhang and one of the men became involved in an altercation.
Zhang, police say, took his licensed 12-gauge shotgun and fired at Erwin Hernandez, 26, hitting him on his left hand.
The businessman said that the men had bought beer from him, and paid with a $100 note, and after he gave them change, they left, but they later returned to rob him and tried to forcefully open the door to the counter area. According to Zhang, they beat and kicked the door to break it down to gain entry into the area, and so he fired at them.
The store is a walk-in, but it is secured with burglar bars that separate the counter from the customer, and he sells from behind the barred counter.