MASKALL VILLAGE, Belize District, Tues. Mar. 2, 2021– A young man was shot dead by police on Tuesday morning after a brief firefight. Robert Smith was reportedly armed with a shotgun and fired shots at police upon encountering the officers, who were in search of him in Maskall Village, Belize District.

Prior to the incident, Smith reportedly went to his uncle’s house and shot him with the same shotgun. Reports are that his uncle whom he shot, Raymond Allen, 56, had heard Smith shouting outside his home and went outside to see him. Smith then asked him for a cigarette, but before Allen could respond, he was shot by Smith.

Allen was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), where he is in a stable condition. Smith, however, did not survive after being wounded by police. The Commissioner of Police has directed an investigation into his shooting death.

During an interview with local media, Williams said, “I have since directed the Professional Standards Branch to do the usual investigation to see if, in fact, there is some wrongdoing or breach of policies by the police officers, because it’s a fatal shooting. We still need to ensure that we do what needs to be done to ascertain that what happens is actually justified by law and that the story given by the police is indeed what took place.”

And while that investigation is ongoing, the aunt of the victim, Yolanda Allen, who is Raymond Allen’s sister, reached out to AMANDALA with some major concerns. She said that the body of her nephew has not been identified by family members since he was fatally shot by police. She also said that, contrary to the police’s narrative, her brother (Raymond Allen) was shot by a pellet gun and discharged himself from the hospital.

She also shared that the police officer who is believed to be the shooter, and who is stationed in Maskall Village, had a negative history with her nephew. She says that her nephew had escaped his custody sometime last month, and because of that, his life was threatened by the same officer.