By Belize Live News Staff: A 23 year old Santa Elena man who allegedly punched a police officer and escaped from a police vehicle while handcuffed is back in custody after being caught in Belize City.
According to police, around 2:50am on Tuesday, November 10, two officers on mobile patrol on the George Price Highway saw a man walking with a 100 pound butane gas tank on his shoulder.
They stopped and searched him. Nothing illegal was found, but when asked about the tank, he said it belonged to his uncle and could not properly explain where he was taking it.
The officer told him he would be detained for handling stolen goods. Police say that as the officer tried to handcuff him, the man swung and hit the officer on the right side of his head. A struggle followed and both fell to the ground before the man was subdued and handcuffed.
Officers then took him to his uncle’s house on George Price Avenue, where the uncle said the tank was not his.
When the man was placed back in the vehicle, police say he opened the passenger door, jumped out and ran off, still wearing the handcuffs.
Later that day, Quick Response Team officers detained him in Belize City with the handcuffs still on. He was taken to the Precinct 2 cell block to await transfer to San Ignacio.
He is expected to face charges of aggravated assault and handling stolen goods.
