Orange Walk youth hospitalized after being hit by allegedly drunk cop

A young man from the Orange Walk District is battling for his life after he was knocked down by an allegedly drunk police officer. that officer is facing disciplinary action. The incident occurred late Sunday evening on the San Felipe Road in San Lazaro Village. 20-year-old Jerry Cordova was on a motorcycle when he was hit from behind by a pick-up truck driven by 42-year-old police officer Artermio Ical. The impact caused Cordova to lose control of the motorcycle and crashed into a drain. Police say Ical then fled the scene before rendering any assistance to Cordova who was later transported to the hospital by residents. Police Press Officer, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood says Ical also ran a checkpoint and refused to provide blood or urine samples. 

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Office, Belize Police Department: “The investigators also found out that he ran a checkpoint that was set up by transport officers prior to knocking one Jerson Cardova off a motorbike while trying to escape, actually whilst escaping from the traffic checkpoint. Police then went to his home where they detained him, they took the vehicle that he was using into the station to be processed of course and as it is he will be arraigned this morning in Orange Walk Magistrate Court. I know that the letter for his interdiction is being processed as we speak. I know that he didn’t give any blood and urine sample and he will be charged for that also but I know that he was not cooperating at the time. But we managed to detain him, I said San Lazaro Village it’s August Pine Ridge Village where he lives. The accident happened in San Lazaro village where he knocked the 20 year old Jerson Cardova off a motorbike.” 

The incident has devastated Cordova’s family. His father Jeronimo told Love News that his son suffered severe injuries and is now in need of surgery.

Jeronimo Cordova, Father of Injured: “I don’t care if he’s out freely but he can at least come and tell me sorry you know? Something. Sorry, it’s something I did but I didn’t mean it but he hasn’t come at all or to ask how can I help because I have spent a lot of money, a single CT scan is very expensive and it’s not just one he’s done several. They already did a cranial CT scan, a full body CT scan and tomorrow they will do one on his chest because they want to take out the fluid in his lungs or his blood I’m not sure and his stomach as well. So tomorrow we are going to do that. His arm has a big cut, this part here when I picked my son off the growing all his raw flesh from this part of his arm was exposed and he has a hole near his ribs. Right now they are supplying him with blood because his levels are low.”