Maxwell Parris, the man who sustained gunshot injuries to the left forearm and abdomen during an armed confrontation with the police on Lombard Street on the morning of July 21, was remanded to prison when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The 29-year-old man of Lot 54 D’Urban Street, Georgetown, was not required to plead to the indictable charge of discharging a loaded firearm with intent when it was read to him by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
It is alleged that on July 21 at Lombard Street, George-town Parris discharged a loaded firearm at a police officer with intent to disable that officer.
Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson in Parris’s defence told the court that no firearm or ammunition was found by the police. The lawyer said that according to his instructions, on the day in question Parris was walking when the police told him to halt and four police officers shot at him.
The attorney further told the court that his client was unconscious after being shot and was taken to the hospital.
Thompson made an application for reasonable bail to be granted to his client. He said that his client was released from the hospital only yesterday morning and his health was still critical.
The prosecution objected to bail citing as grounds the seriousness and prevalence of the offence. According to the prosecution the accused shot at the police who then returned fire.
After receiving reports about a breakage, the prosecution said, the police showed up at the Lombard Street scene. It was during this breakage that the accused who was in a building reportedly shot at police constable 19896 and the officers then returned fire in an effort to defend themselves.
After listening to both sides the magistrate refused bail and the matter continues today.
A press release from the police had said that around 3.40 am on the said day ranks responded to reports of two men being seen on the roof of Foo’s General Store building at Lombard Street, George-town. On arrival at the scene, the release said, the ranks came under fire from one of the men and they returned fire hitting Parris in the process. Parris was a patient of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Hospital for several days while the other man had been arrested and was in police custody assisting with investigations.
