A dramatic shooting incident in Pomona village, located in Belize’s Stann Creek District, has led to formal aggravated assault charges against local farmer Richard Cal, law enforcement officials confirmed this week. The confrontation unfolded on the afternoon of Thursday, 6 August 2026, when three police officers carrying out routine surveillance operations encountered Cal along a rural farm road at approximately 12:30 p.m.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, the routine interaction quickly escalated into violence when Cal drew a legally licensed firearm and opened fire on the three officers. In response to the immediate threat, the officers discharged their own weapons in return fire. The exchange left Cal with a single gunshot wound to his lower leg.
Immediately after the shooting concluded, emergency responders transported Cal to a local medical facility to receive treatment for his injury. While Cal recovered, specialized crime scene technicians were dispatched to the remote farm road to process the site of the confrontation. Investigators have confirmed that multiple pieces of physical evidence were collected from the area to support the ongoing criminal case.
Following his release from medical care, authorities took Cal into official police custody and conducted a recorded interview to gather his account of the incident. Smith told reporters that Cal was given full opportunity to explain his version of events, but he ultimately provided very limited detail about the confrontation. This week, prosecutors formally filed three separate counts of aggravated assault against Cal in connection with the attack on the serving police officers.