Caye Caulker JPs Demand Action Over Police Brutality

The Caye Caulker branch of the Justice of the Peace Association is calling for urgent national intervention following what they describe as a disturbing pattern of police violence on the island. In a strongly worded release, the group condemned years of alleged abuse by local officers, highlighted by the recent death of a young resident. Justice of the Peace Javier Novelo stated that officers who act as aggressors “forfeit their right to serve,” and called for immediate removal of those with violent histories. The association is demanding an independent investigation, officer reassignment, mandatory retraining, and full judicial accountability. Andrew Novelo, the individual seen in the video being roughed up by Caye Caulker police, is the grandson of Javier Novelo. The Justice of the Peace recounted part of the incident, which involved also a traffic warden, with News Five.

On the phone: Javier Novelo, Justice of the Peace

“So he’s asking and continues to ask the warden, “What have I done wrong? Why did you take my golf cart?” And no one could give him any answers and the male warden walked up to him and chest bumped him and told him, “What yoh gwein do about it?” And he is basically saying, “All I want is answers, tell me why you took the golf cart and if I have committed an offense, give me my ticket and let me go on my way.” He’s all hyped up and they’re exchanging words right there and they could not give him an answer so he decided to take the cart and he was driving out of the compound. He was bringing the golf cart back home when the police were coming and the male warden running out, shouting, “That’s him, that’s him. Stop him!” So he immediately stopped, came out of the cart and put his hands up. The officer just came to him, grabbed him in the sweatshirt that he had on, actually ripped it, and punched him, threw him on the golf cart. He then started questioning them, “Why are you beating me? What did I do? Explain to me why you are beating me and coming to me in this aggressive way. And he’s right there, back and forth with the officers, and basically telling him to shut up and to shut up and the other officer that was there from behind, put him in a headlock. He said it was a very aggressive headlock, that he felt his air going, so he began tapping the officer on the arm and letting him know that he felt his throat burning and tapping him so that they could release him. He was held in that headlock until they put handcuffs on him. They put him back on the golf cart and he was asking, what was happening. Tell me. He’s all hyped up, as anyone would be. You’re trying to get answers and no answers. They can’t tell you why they took your golf cart, what is the reason and no answer is given. They put him and had him on the cart there and the officer just slapped him really hard. You can hear it in the video and he was taken to the police station. This is all the way they’re taking him there, they’re hitting him on the head, on the face.”

The Caye Caulker Justice of the Peace Association says it stands with the Caye Caulker Village Council and pledges to support victims through legal and advocacy channels.

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