Police Officer Slapped with Criminal Charge for Firing Gun

Police officer Richard Gillett was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today on a single charge of discharging a firearm in public. The charge stems from a widely circulated video shared by News 5 last night.

The video shows Gillett firing a warning shot while ordering some residents to return to their yard.

The video, which appears to be recorded near a police booth, has raised serious questions about the officer’s conduct. Viewers have been questioning whether the use of a warning shot was justified and whether the officer was sober at the time of the incident.

Gillett was granted bail in the sum of $1,000 with one surety of the same amount. His case was adjourned.