by Charles Gladden

CAYE CAULKER, Mon. June 30, 2025

A teenager from Caye Caulker Village lost his life during what was reportedly a brawl with off-duty police officers in front of a local street vendor on the island in the early hours of Monday, June 30.

Sometime after 2:30 a.m. Monday, two off-duty police officers were at the stall when three young men arrived in a golf cart, and one of the young men shoved a person who was also in the area.

The two off-duty officers intervened in the altercation, and both parties involved left the scene. However, according to reports, the young men later returned to the area, whereupon another altercation developed between them and the two officers.

This resulted in the death of 18-year-old Kevin DePaz and injuries to his two companions, one of whom is in a critical condition, while the other’s condition is stable. The two officers also reportedly received stab wounds.

The Major Crime Unit of the Police Department and the Professional Standards Branch (PSB) have joined in the investigation, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, Chief of Staff. While the investigation is ongoing, it is unclear whether the off-duty policemen had identified themselves as law enforcement officers.

“Commissioner [Richard] Rosado has instructed that a thorough investigation be conducted. He is physically going to Caye Caulker to give the residents that assurance, that it is an incident that the department wishes to investigate fully. Certainly, it is the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution that will conclusively say what charges will be levied under the circumstances,” ASP Smith said.

Also, it is currently unclear whether the off-duty officers were armed when they inflicted injuries to DePaz and his friends, or whether they used the young men’s own weapons against them in self-defense.

“Certainly, when it is incidents that involve police officers, there’s a higher level of scrutiny, and there’s certainly some onus on the department to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted to dispel any suggestions of cover-up or anything in that nature,” ASP Smith said.