Gaymes – I did not try to take the officer’s gun

Andre Gaymes claims that he is not guilty of any wrongdoing and did not deserve to be shot by the police.{{more}}

Gaymes, a 39-year-old man from Glenside, Mesopotamia, was shot once in the right leg on Monday, May 28 by an officer while at a function at the Marriaqua Government School.

“Me nah do de man nuttin’, de man could ah just chuck me out…if he tell he self that I was misbehaving,” Gaymes told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.

According to the man, he and his brother had gone to the activity where they met two young women, who had indicated that they wanted to get inside the dance.

He said he agreed and gave them the money.

Gaymes said that he and his brother then left the school for a short time and returned. This time, they saw the two young women who again indicated that they wanted to get into the dance, but had no money.

The man told SEARCHLIGHT that he again agreed to give them the money, but told them that one of them would have to give him a dance, which he said the young woman agreed to.

After entering the activity, Gaymes explained that he did not push for the dance right away.

However, after he set out to look for the girl, he saw her dancing with another man.

“Ah didn’t really pay attention to who the guy was; I just figured she knew the guy before,” Gaymes explained.

But he said that he went up to her and asked if she had forgotten what she had promised.

Gaymes said the young lady ignored him, following which he turned to her and told her that she was ungrateful. She then left and he said he went behind her.

He said he had some bad blood with the guy with whom the young lady was dancing, which stemmed from an altercation that took place sometime before.

“I am not sure what the guy told the officer, but he (officer) started pushing me,” Gaymes said.

Gaymes said that the officer had pushed him out to a short distance from the entrance to the school yard, when he (the police officer) bent down and shot him (Gaymes) in his leg.

He denies that he fought off the officer or that he tried to take the officer’s gun.

“Ah tellin yo, an officer will have a gun and I will try to take it out the holster in his waist?” Gaymes reasoned.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that there were persons present who could support his story, saying that while he had been drinking, he was not entirely intoxicated.

Meanwhile his mother, Eldica Gaymes said that she believes that her son did not deserve to be treated that way.

“He is the last one for me and he is my hand and foot,” Gaymes said.

“Is my granddaughter who tell me I must come here, because I don’t know what to do because they doh even put it over the air, they doh say nuttin’,” the woman contended.

Eldica told SEARCHLIGHT that she was told that her son was shot during an altercation with the police officer, when he reached for the officer’s gun.

But she made it clear that she did not believe that to be the case.

“Although me old and done getting dotish, me should think me fighting with you front to front, try break me hand or something,” she reasoned.

Added to the suffering, Gaymes said that she is yet to hear from the police about what had taken place, but is adamant that although her son has had previous arrests, the police should not have treated him in that manner.

Up to press time Wednesday, Andre was still a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

When contacted, Commissioner of Police Keith Miller said that two young ladies made a report to one of the officers on duty at the event that Gaymes was being aggressive, after they had refused to dance with him.

Miller said that Gaymes also became aggressive towards the officer and started using obscenities.

After Gaymes was told he was going to be arrested, Miller said that he was informed that the young man did make an attempt to take the firearm from the police officer.

“The police then tried to restrain him and he continued making attempts to take the firearm,” the Commissioner said, adding that Gaymes was eventually shot in order to be restrained.

He said Gaymes will be arrested and charged with indecent language, resisting arrest and assault of a police officer when he is released from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he is a patient.