The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A POLICEMAN claimed a struggle ensued when officers arrested the man suspected of being behind the disappearance of 11-year-old Marco Archer.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Christopher Wright testified yesterday that on the evening of Septmeber 27, 2011, he saw Kofhe Goodman in a white Nissan Maxima attempting to pull out of the driveway of a pink apartment complex on Yorkshire Street.

He blocked the 37-year-old in, got out of his police car, approached the man and cautioned him for arrest regarding the disappearance of Marco Archer.

Goodman, according to ASP Wright replied: “Y’all got the wrong man.”

A struggle then ensued before they were able to subdue and arrest him. He was taken to the Cable Beach police station and his vehicle was towed there as well.

Goodman, of Yorkshire Drive, faces a murder charge which he denies.

It is claimed that between September 23 and 28 of 2011, he caused the death of Marco Archer, who disappeared from Brougham Street and was found dead days later.

In yesterday’s proceedings, prosecutor Neil Braithwaite called the former officer in charge of CDU’s Serious Crimes Unit to the witness stand.

ASP Wright said that on September 27, 2011, he was on duty at CDU when he received certain information.

“Regarding that information, around 7.30pm on that same date, I went to Yorkshire street, Cable Beach, to a pink apartment unit and saw the accused Elvardo Ferguson, also known as Kofhe Goodman, driving a white Nissan vehicle trying to...”the officer began.

However, Goodman’s attorney, Geoffrey Farquharson objected to the line of questioning and asked to discuss his objection in the absence of the jury.

Five minutes later, upon the jury’s return to the courtroom, Mr Braithwaite resumed his questioning of the witness.

The prosecution asked the officer if the man he saw that evening was present in the courtroom.

ASP Wright answered that Goodman, in the court’s prisoner’s dock, was the driver of the “white Maxima” that evening.

“I approached him and identified myself,” the officer said.

ASP Wright claimed that he cautioned the man about being a suspect in the case and Goodman’s reply was “Y’all got the wrong man.”

“How’d you approach him?” Mr Braithwaite asked.

“I blocked his vehicle and got out of the vehicle and approached him,” the senior officer answered. He added that he was not alone, other officers were present.

“He was placed under arrest. After a struggle, he was subdued and taken to be booked in at the Cable Beach police station” the officer said.

The prosecutor then had the photo album of the crime scene in question put to the witness and asked if he recognised the building he had testified about. The ASP pointed out a building and it’s gate, adding that this was where the vehicle “was trying to come out of the gate out onto the main street”.

During cross-examination, Mr Farquharson asked about the apartment unit where the arrest was made.

“Officer Wright, was this the first time you’d ever been to these units?” the attorney asked.

“No, sir,” the officer answered.

“You’d visited a very senior police officer, correct?” Mr Farquharson asked.

ASP Wright said “Yes.”

“Ricardo Taylor, yes?” the attorney asked.

“That is correct,” the officer answered.

“Ricardo Taylor lived at this unit?” the attorney then asked.

“At some point, yes,” officer Wright said.

“When you went there on that day, you saw him there, isn’t that so?” Mr Farquharson asked.

“Afterwards, yes” was the officer’s reply.

Mr Farquharson asked the officer if he was the most senior in rank present at the time of the arrest and ASP Wright said he was.

“In that position, you knew Sgt Knowles was an officer on the ground?” the attorney asked.

“I don’t recall,” the policeman said.

When asked again, the policeman said Knowles was an officer in the Sexual Offenses Unit.

The attorney asked ASP Wright if he supervised this officer at the apartment unit on the evening in question.

The officer said he did, and also supervised the other offices present.

“You delegated to collect evidence?” the attorney asked.

“No knowledge of that,” the officer responded.

The attorney suggested to the officer that he was lying, adding that Sgt Knowles wrote a report dated October 30 and gave it to him.

“Your suggestion is totally wrong,” ASP Wright said, adding that a report may have been written but nothing was submitted to him.

The trial resumes today before Justice Bernard Turner.