- Belize Police brace for reprisals after murder of ‘street figure’
Police are attempting to reassure citizens about their safety following the execution of a “well-known street figure” in Belize City in broad daylight on Monday.
“I can assure the Belizean people, particularly the residents of Belize City, that the police will do whatever is necessary to ensure the city’s safety,” Police Commissioner Chester Williams remarked following the assassination of 48-year-old Jose Matus.
According to authorities, Matus had arrived to pick up two sisters when a van approached him, and a couple of gunmen alighted and fired multiple shots at his vehicle.
Jose Matus, also known as El Wapo, was found unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle, while his sisters, Breena and Brineya Brown, were injured.
Williams told reporters that violent crime in Belize City had grown in the last 24 hours, and that law enforcement officials met earlier on Monday to discuss the situation.
“There is a present flare-up, and police will respond appropriately to manage the situation.”I am not going to say what we are going to do, but I can promise the Belizean people that we are looking into the matter and will deal with it,” he said.
Some individuals have openly stated their concerns about the incident, pointing out that Matus was killed in a residential community near Grace Primary School, as well as a nearby home where a number of little children routinely play in the garden.
The attack on Matus follows a previous attempt on his life in mid-October of last year, when a shooter fired several shots into the vehicle he was driving.
The police say they are prepared for a wave of retribution in the aftermath of Matus’ murder.
