Did cop stun ‘peacemaker’? Court to rule on 4-y-o matter
There are conflicting reports in relation to an incident involving an alleged assault on a police which resulted in one man being tasered by law enforcement officials at the Road Town festival grounds four years ago.
Roland Simon’s trial for assault on police officially ended on Wednesday before Magistrate Shawn Innocent.
The defence is hoping the court will accept their case that Simon never assaulted the police officer in question on July 26, 2014.
During the now-concluded trial, defence attorney Stephen Daniels told the court that his client was the ‘peacemaker’ in the incident and only wanted his friend, who was involved in an altercation, to comply with the police.
The court heard that Rupert Herbert, also known as PimpJuice, and his friends – including Simon – were making their way out of the festival village after he bought a serving of chicken from a vendor.
It was during that time that another man reportedly threw Herbert’s chicken to the ground.
Herbert then told the man to pay him $10 for his meal but the man only offered him $3.
An argument and scuffle ensued and police intervened.
The court heard from the defence that while police spoke to Herbert, Simon noticed that he (Herbert) was still agitated over the meal so he (Simon) decided to walk over to him to try to calm him down.
It was then, the defence claims, that he was stunned from behind with a taser gun.
“I just tell PimpJuice to relax his head [then] I just hear ‘bow!’ and then I fall down flat,” Simon said.
“We had no long talk, the officer just shoot me,” he added.
Herbert – the civilian whose meal had fallen – corroborated Simon’s story.
“My friend was just telling me to behave and I just saw him drop down in front of me.”
Police’s account
Police Officer Esau Andrews told the court that he was the cop who used the taser gun on Simon.
He said he saw Simon push another police officer on two occasions on the day in question.
Officer Andrews said Simon was told to refrain from assaulting the cop but he ignored the instructions. Andrews said he, therefore, made use of the taser to subdue the accused man.
He also refuted claims by the defence that Simon was being a peacemaker.
“To me, if someone comes as a peacemaker, you would come in a different manner,” he told the court while describing Simon’s demeanour at the time as ‘aggressive’.
The matter was adjourned to October 19 when Magistrate Innocent will enter a verdict in the matter.
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This is to funny to be funny.LMAO, he heard bow, I thought is was more like zzzzzzt then you do the early morning shake and drop like it’s hot.
The peacemaker always getting tasered most times, officer always in a situation where they “feared for my life”
WOW! Now that’s some good chicken LOL
And Fraser Dumb A** want to give them guns… ????♂️
If this guy was walking towards his friend, was he shot from behind by the stun gun? Would he have been walking away form the officer who shot him? Did he have a weapon in his hand that was visible to the police? If he seemed aggressive, how aggressive was he? Did he strike another person to satisfy the level of aggression necessary to justify using a stun gun? Did he fail to comply with instructions given to him? Was he being detained? In addition to being paid I would want to shot this officer with that same stun gun!!
Obstruction
If this officer did see him “assault” 2 officers earlier in the day, why wasn’t he (peacemaker) apprehended then by him or the officer’s that were “assaulted” and what is the point of making that statement? I think this guy was trying to justify his actions with this excuse. Not buying his story. Just seem too quick to pull his taser, especially if he didn’t give a command to stop and identify himself from the back.