BELIZE CITY–A resident of the West Lake community at Mile 8 on the George Price Highway was arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court late this evening on four charges stemming from a minor traffic violation. Typically, someone accused of such a violation is promptly released on station bail and he or she is given a date on which to appear in court.

That, however, was not the case with Sherwin Baizar, who had been in police lockdown since Friday, October 24, when the incident occurred. Baizar was brought to court this morning in the police mobile unit transporting prisoners.

Baizar, a 28-year-old musician, pleaded not guilty to “causing a bicycle to proceed on a one-way street; resisting lawful arrest; assaulting a police officer; and use of insulting words,” when Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart arraigned him on the charges.

Since the prosecutor did not object to bail, Stewart offered Baizar bail in the sum of $1,500 plus one surety in the same amount.

The condition of his bail is that he is not to make any contact with the complainant in the case, which was adjourned to December 17.

A family member of Baizar told Amandala that Baizar had been riding his bicycle on Collet Canal Street, near Kick Down Fence bridge on Dean Street, when the police stopped him.

According to the family member, Baizar was severely beaten by police while he was in their custody.

And to prove the severity of the beating that Baizar suffered at the hands of the police, the family member used a cellphone to photograph him while he was still in their custody.