On July 7, 2026, new developments have emerged following a fatal police shooting in Belmopan that left Kevaughn Gabriel dead, with his family now considering formal legal action against the Belize Police Department.
Journalists attempted to contact Gabriel’s family for comment this week, but the grieving relatives requested space to mourn privately as they attended his postmortem examination. Law enforcement officials confirmed they are fully aware of the family’s intention to pursue legal recourse over the incident.
According to official police accounts, the fatal encounter unfolded after officers responded to an urgent emergency domestic violence call. The report details that the caller was a 25-year-old woman, who told responders that Gabriel had forced entry into her home, destroyed multiple personal belongings, and made direct threats against her life. Investigators have confirmed that the woman is pregnant with Gabriel’s child, adding an extra layer of complexity to an already devastating situation.
Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the department, addressed the incident in an official press briefing, noting that active internal investigations are still ongoing to unpack the chain of events that led to Gabriel being shot and killed. No full official report has been cleared for public release as of this update, after requests for documentation from press were declined while the review remains in progress.
Smith extended the department’s sincere condolences to Gabriel’s family, and acknowledged that the entire incident has left lasting trauma for every person connected to the case. “This is a traumatic situation for each and everyone involved,” Smith stated, noting that trauma extends not only to Gabriel’s relatives, but also to the responding officers, the pregnant woman, and the children who witnessed the confrontation at the residence.
Smith emphasized that the police department respects the Gabriel family’s constitutional right to seek legal remedy for the death of their loved one, and confirmed that the department plans to continue outreach to the family as the investigation moves forward. “Certainly that is their right… the circumstance is not one that was desired, [as] the police officers were responding [to an emergency call],” Smith added.
This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television newscast, with all statements from speakers transcribed accurately for online publication.