Police shooting of 24-year-old with mental health concerns in Independence Village raises questions

Published by BBNTEAM at January 27, 2025

Posted: Monday, January 27, 2025. 9:18 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: A police shooting incident involving 24-year-old Emil Rivas has raised concerns regarding police conduct.

Rivas was shot on Friday after being arrested for an alleged aggravated assault with a knife, according to police. According to Rivas’s family, the young man, who is on medication for a mental health condition, was subjected to brutal treatment by police before being shot in the stomach and leg. They allege that the officers involved did not adequately address his mental health needs during the encounter.

The Police Department presented its defense against the claims made by Rivas’s family today. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, speaking to reporters, detailed what happened from the Police’s perspective. “Rivas was taken into custody but attempted to escape while at the police station,” ACP Romero stated. He explained that Rivas jumped out of the back of a police vehicle, sustaining some injuries in the process, before being apprehended and placed in a holding cell.

The situation escalated on Saturday morning when, during routine cleaning of the cell, Rivas managed to escape again. According to ACP Romero, he fled to a nearby house where he allegedly armed himself with a machete. Police arrived on the scene and attempted to disarm him. “Attempts were made to disarm him from the machete. A warning shot was fired, but that did not work. At some point, then the police officer shot him in the leg,” ACP Romero explained. Rivas is currently hospitalized and in stable condition.

The shooting has prompted the Professional Standards Branch to initiate an investigation, as is standard procedure for all police-involved shootings. Rivas’ family is seeking transparency regarding the events that led to the gunfire and the treatment that Rivas received while in police custody. We understand that the officer alleged to have fired the shots was involved in a previous incident some 20 years ago on the island of Caye Caulker, but ACP Romero said each officer involved would be looked at and spoken to in the ongoing investigation.

Additionally, concerns have emerged from the Rivas family regarding access to the injured man. Reports indicated that Rivas’s mother was allegedly denied entry to visit her son at the hospital. Addressing this issue, ACP Romero stated, “I am not aware of that, but if he is in police custody, at some point, she can visit.”

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