By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
TWO men were acquitted yesterday of allegedly pointing a gun at police in Garden Hills in 2018, an encounter in which one of the defendants was shot and injured.
Dominic Stuart, 32, and Antonio Neely, 32, were found unanimously not guilty by a nine-person jury of possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Justice Neil Braithwaite told the men they were free to go as long as they had no other matters before the court.
The defendants smiled and exchanged congratulations with their attorneys after yesterday’s verdicts.
It was alleged that the pair, armed with a handgun, endangered the life of Police Constable Caudray Deal on the night of May 15, 2018, after they were stopped in their vehicle.
Defence attorney Jairim Mangra maintained in his closing address that the defendants were innocent.
Mr Mangra claimed police fabricated evidence, including by planting a gun in the accused’s vehicle, and said officers had no justifiable reason to fire at them.
During testimony, it was said that PC Deal shot at Neely three times and that Deal’s partner, Sergeant Deandra Forbes, shot at him twice that night.
Officers claimed they shot at the accused after Neely pointed a gun at PC Deal. They also claimed the same weapon was recovered from the accused’s red Kia Sportage after the shooting.
Vashti Bridgewater and Kristin Butler-Beneby prosecuted the case.
Cassie Bethel also represented the accused.
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