Amid an ongoing, charge-less investigation into a shooting incident that injured three police officers on Raccoon Street, law enforcement in Belize has secured a custody in a separate firearms seizure that underscores the region’s persistent struggles with illegal gun possession.
On Friday, July 3, at approximately 9:30 a.m., officers assigned to the Belize Police Department’s Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team were conducting routine preventative patrols along Gill Street in Belize City when their attention was drawn to 18-year-old local resident Malachi Vernon. Vernon’s suspicious behavior prompted officers to intercept him and conduct a personal search, according to Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, the department’s Staff Officer.
The search yielded a significant illegal cache: a black 9-millimeter handgun, along with a loaded ammunition magazine holding 10 live 9-millimeter rounds. Police have since formally arrested and charged Vernon with two distinct offenses: unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unlawful possession of unlicensed ammunition. He has already been remanded into custody following the arrest, as confirmed by official police statements.
This bust comes as authorities remain at a standstill in the separate Raccoon Street investigation, where three officers were caught in gunfire but no charges have yet been filed. The swift resolution of the Gill Street seizure highlights the proactive work of the violence prevention unit to get illegal weapons off Belize City streets ahead of potential violent incidents.
This report is adapted from a transcript of a televised evening newscast originally published online.