While one of the detainees was taken directly to the Belmopan Police Station, others alleged being chased into people?s yards and beaten before being taken to the station.

   Still others were allegedly beaten inside the police station during lock-up.

   While the seven young men police held in custody, say they were not told why they were being held, they say police did try to get them to admit to having made the bomb, allegedly by pistol whipping them, beating them with batons and kicking them.

   One person who was held yesterday, Wednesday, was released today, Thursday, but only after he was able to prove to police that they had the wrong person held, that he did not own the vehicle that was allegedly involved in the bombing, which was what they had accused him of.

   The father of one of the young men in custody, Albert Garbutt Sr., told Amandala that both of his sons? arms and legs are swollen.  The father said he has already made a complaint against the police to the department, and he would be pursuing the matter in a court of law.

   Garbutt is upset with the way the police handled the matter.  He says he has pictures that he took of his son, and is only waiting to be advised by his lawyer before he does anything else.

   When Amandala contacted the police department in Belmopan, we spoke to the Officer in Charge, Simeon Alvarez.  He gave us the police?s side of the story.  Apparently, the whole misunderstanding started with a brawl which occurred inside a popular bar in Roaring Creek on Sunday night, July 11. 

   A female who was accompanying the young men police had in custody, had an exchange of words with another young man inside the bar.  When the young man got up to leave, the people she was with all tried to start a fight with the young man.  He managed to get away without being hurt, but allegedly was threatened by the ringleader of the group, who told him he would die before the week ended, said police. 

   Later, the ringleader, driving the same black car from which the bomb was allegedly thrown, passed the young man?s house and allegedly fired some shots.  The young man saw the car coming, so he got out of his house and hid in nearby bushes. 

   After investigating the matter and questioning those in custody, police have since concluded that only one individual is responsible for both the bombing and the shooting.  Elvis Myers, 23, will be formally charged in court tomorrow, where he will be facing charges of threat of death and aggravated assault. 

   Myers may also be charged with discharging a dangerous explosive, after a review of the evidence by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). 

   Myers is originally from Gales Point Manatee, but had relocated to Belize City.  He only recently begun staying in Roaring Creek.

   All the others that were being held have been released on bail.  They will appear in court on Friday, July 23, to answer to charges of obstruction of justice and disorderly conduct.  This is in connection with a fight that had previously occurred at another nightclub.

   Alvarez also pointed out that by law, when a person is arrested and locked up, family members are informed of the reasons why they are being held.  Alvarez says he has no evidence of police brutality, and vehemently denied the allegations against his officers ??The Commissioner has zero tolerance for that ?I have zero tolerance for that ?I don?t believe in police brutality ??

   When it comes to the allegations from Garbutt, Alvarez says when the matter was brought to his attention, he instructed the officer on duty to take the young man out of the cell, fill out a medical form and take him to the hospital.  He says he then instructed Garbutt to make a report to the police Internal Affairs Desk. 

   Garbutt did, so it is now an Internal Affairs case, and will be fully investigated. Disciplinary measures will be taken against the officers if police brutality can be proven. 

 Alvarez went on to say that he is working towards establishing a safe and peaceful community by lowering the cases of violence in Belmopan and the surrounding villages.

   The residents, however, are scared by this latest incident, said Alvarez.  He said as soon as he heard about the altercation, he got members of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) involved, and they all took serious measures to apprehend those responsible for the bombing and shooting.    

   Alvarez concludes that he wouldn?t even want the public to know how this ?bomb? was made, for fear of having others trying to make one.  The incident was something that?s definitely a first for the village of Roaring Creek, he said.