Fisherman found not guilty of gun charges

Glenroy ‘Noonax’ Edwards, a fisherman of Petit Bordel, was found not guilty on charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm and for assault on a police officer when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman at the Serious Offences Court last Wednesday. The charges stemmed from an incident on March 3, this year. {{more}}

Information revealed before the court by the police was that on that day, the defendant was at a sports meet at Petit Bordel, where they approached him and identified themselves as three police officers dressed in plain clothes and asked to conduct a search. Upon conducting the search the police said, the accused ran from a steel structure where he was seated while an officer gave chase.

The police said that Edwards managed to escape but was later apprehended and began tussling with the officer. He then pulled a gun from his waist and pointed it at another officer. According to the police, the officer, being frightened, pulled a service weapon from one of the two officers holding him and shot him in the right buttock.

The officers claimed they had to flee to a nearby road to seek assistance because people were behaving in a violent manner towards them.

Edwards, in his defence, told the court he was hanging with some friends smoking cannabis when one officer came from behind, grabbed his shoulder and said “alyo mus stop give officers so much trouble.”

He claimed that two officers held him by the waist, when, he heard something like two pieces of steel knocking together.

“Ah geh shot, officer yo cripple me yo cripple me” said Edwards. He claimed that after being shot he was left on the ground as the officers fled the scene. He was taken to the Chateaubelair Health Clinic then was transferred to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to receive treatment.