BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ABOUT eight months after the shooting of national athlete Timoy Henry, a member of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has been charged in relation to the incident.
A press release issued by the Police Force this afternoon (Feb. 21), informed that Constable Delroy Stapleton has been charged with “inflicting grievous bodily injury with a weapon” and “unlawful discharge of a firearm”.
The incident which led to the charges took place at the Frigate Bay Strip on June 26, 2016.
“The incident was investigated by the Violent Crimes Unit and the Office of Professional Standards and was reviewed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution. The charges were brought on Tuesday (February 21),” the press release informed.
Constable Stapleton – who is attached to the Beat and Patrol Unit, Basseterre Police Station – “was suspended from all duties with immediate effect pending the determination of the charges”.
The Police advise that the Constable was granted $25,000-bail at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court.
Reportedly, Henry was shot in the neck when an off-duty police officer fired into a crowd, members of whom were involved in an altercation.
He was warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the Joseph N. France General Hospital and underwent surgery. However, he was left incapacitated with one of his arms immobile.
The release quotes Queeley as expressing that, “We have systems and processes in place to deal with these types of incidents. During the investigation the necessary protocols were followed and a decision was arrived at...These things take time, and we allowed the process to take its course."
