Kadeem Kwaime Hunte, who was shot during the wee hours of a curfew on March 31, appeared in court yesterday and was remanded for 28 days.
The barely audible 27-year-old of Bayview #1, St Michael told the court that he was an essential worker at a sugar factory and was on his way to work when the incident occurred and he ended up on charges of loitering at Harbour Lights, Bay Street; assaulting a police woman and breaching curfew at 11:30 p.m.
Hunte, who has an injury to his jaw and mouth, spoke aided by a valve at the base of his throat and said he had asked for a change in his shift so that he could go to work that night but missed the by-pass bus and ended up in Bay Street.
The accused said he was drunk and decided to take a bath in the sea before heading into work.
While at the beach the police passed chasing two men and he ran too, because he did not want to be caught and lose his job. He ran into someone’s “gallery” and was attempting to get on the roof when he was shot by police.
The father of two children, one who is six and the other who will turn six this month, asked the court for bail and inquired whether he could be fined for the offence.
Magistrate Wayne Clarke, sitting in the Criminal Court No. 1, pointed out that the fine was $50 000 to which Hunte responded he could get help in paying it because he would rather not be sent to prison.
Sergeant Vernon Waithe said the concern was about the breach and not having a reasonable explanation. The prosecutor said that Hunte had injuries but had spent time in hospital receiving treatment.
After the matter had been stood down for a while, Magistrate Clarke returned to it and remanded Hunte stating that the law was enacted to keep people at home in the case of a public health emergency. (AC)
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