?I was a police officer working on duty. A guy pulled a gun at me, and I had to do what I did,? Ayuso said, defending the shooting. He made the statement while leaving the Magistrate?s Court with his family after receiving bail.
Ayuso is accused of fatally shooting Rogers once in his forehead at point-blank range on February 12, 2005.
Today, Rogers? father still believes that his son was unarmed, contrary to police allegations. He maintains that the police shot him without good reason. He categorizes the shooting as murder, and thinks the manslaughter charge is an injustice.
Ayuso?s arrest came two hours after a jury of 6, two women and four men, found him criminally responsible for Rogers? death. The ruling was made as a result of a Coroner?s Inquest which was conducted at the Belize City Magistrate?s Court in front of Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie. It concluded shortly after yesterday?s lunch hour, and immediately a warrant was issued for Aldo Ayuso?s arrest.
The jurors heard sworn testimony from 18 witnesses, including police officers and doctors. Ayuso himself appeared before them.
The officer had said in a police report that he shot Rogers in ?self defense.? The then Commissioner of Police, Carmen Zetina, described Ayuso?s act as ?a justifiable action.?
In court, Ayuso?s attorney, Dickie Bradley, requested that the matter be dealt with ?expeditiously.? With that Chief Magistrate Lord told the court that the files would be sent to the Chief Justice, and then forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution by May. Aldo Ayuso could stand trial in the June Session of the Supreme Court.
The deceased Rogers? relatives are presently seeking to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Government of Belize through the law firm of attorneys Pitts & Elrington.
Leslie Rogers, Jr., a former St. John?s College student, was shot dead three days before his 22ndbirthday. His friends visited his grave on Sunday, February 12, this year?what would have been his 23rdbirthday.
The victim comes from a prominent family. He was the grandson of former Deputy Premier, the late C.L.B. Rogers, who was also Minister of Home Affairs (Police) for many years. His father, Leslie Rogers, Sr., was a famous football player and softball player/manager. His mother was Claudette Bosch, Green Stripe and All Belize softball catcher for Hall of Famer Margaret Usher. He is also the nephew of softball Hall of Famer, Patricia Bennett.