On a Saturday night in late June 2026, a routine drive through Belize’s Cayo District turned into a life-threatening ordeal for an off-duty Special Patrol Unit officer, who emerged unharmed after two gunmen ambushed his vehicle near Teakettle Village.
According to official statements from the Belize Police Department, the targeted officer, Eric Usher, was traveling through the Young Gal neighborhood of Roaring Creek when the attack unfolded. Witness testimony from Usher confirms that two unidentified men stepped out from dense roadside foliage and immediately opened fire on his moving car, leaving the vehicle riddled with multiple bullet holes. Acting quickly to avoid harm, Usher accelerated away from the ambush site and reported the incident to law enforcement authorities, avoiding any serious physical injury despite the close-range attack.
The targeted attack on an off-duty police officer has reignited public debate and new concerns over the persistent wave of violent crime that has impacted Belize in recent months. Members of the public have already raised questions about the credibility of the official account of the incident, prompting senior law enforcement to commit to a full, transparent investigation.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, who leads the National Crimes Investigation Branch, outlined the next steps for the probe in comments to reporters. “We are looking at all the facts and we will do some ballistics as well, so that will determine what becomes of the report,” Romero explained. When pressed for additional details, Romero confirmed that Usher was off-duty at the time of the attack, and declined to confirm unconfirmed public speculation that alcohol may have been tied to the incident, noting that investigators are still working through early leads.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police have seized Usher’s licensed personally-owned firearm for forensic testing, a standard procedure in cases involving off-duty officers and potential firearm involvement. Investigators are currently working to identify the two attackers and establish a clear motive for the ambush, with no suspects publicly named as of the latest updates.
This shooting comes amid a broader stretch of elevated violent crime across Belize, and the targeting of a serving police officer—even off-duty—has prompted renewed calls for action to address safety in rural communities like Teakettle Village and Roaring Creek.