A violent altercation between an off-duty Belize police officer and a member of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) has left both men receiving medical care at Belize City’s premier public medical facility, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). The clash unfolded in the early hours of Sunday in Lemonal Village, a quiet community located in Belize River Valley, after a verbal dispute escalated into physical harm, law enforcement officials confirmed.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Hilberto Romero, who leads the National Crimes Investigation Branch, outlined the sequence of events to reporters on Tuesday. Both men—Police Constable Pharon Musla of the Belize Police Department and BDF Lance Corporal Alexander Reynolds—were in attendance at a repast gathering shortly after midnight when tensions boiled over between them. All official accounts confirm that both personnel were off-duty at the time of the incident, and alcohol was involved in the gathering, per ACP Romero’s statement.
Initial accounts from the police investigation allege that Musla first inflicted a chop wound to Reynolds’ head. In response, Reynolds drew a personal firearm and fired multiple shots at Musla. There remains a discrepancy in early official accounts over the weapon’s specifications: ACP Romero stated the firearm was a privately licensed 9-millimeter pistol, while preliminary investigations conducted by the BDF have identified the weapon as a 0.380 caliber handgun registered to a female owner.
Following the exchange of violence, both injured men were rushed to KHMH for urgent medical intervention. Musla was admitted with multiple gunshot wounds, while Reynolds is being treated for the head injury he sustained during the confrontation. As of the latest update, both individuals are in stable condition, and a full joint investigation is underway to clarify the details of the incident and determine what criminal charges, if any, will be filed.
“They are both at the KHMH receiving treatment. They are both in stable condition,” Romero reiterated to reporters. “A thorough investigation will be carried out to determine charges.”