Shooting Victim refutes police accusations

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ELVIS MAYNARD, the man who was shot by a police officer in St. Paul’s on Friday, May 1 after he had allegedly attacked the lawman, claims that the  allegations are false and he was deliberately shot.

Maynard was discharged yesterday (May 11) from the Joseph N France General Hospital after successful treatment for a bullet wound to his abdomen. 

According to a police press release, “On Friday 1st May 2009 at about 10:30 p.m., Police responded to a report at Main Street St. Pauls. Having dealt with that report, two men were seen smashing bottles in the road. The Police warned them against the behavior and left. The men became irate and began to follow the officer, making threats at him. One of the men, Elvis Maynard of St. Pauls attacked the officer, who discharged his firearm injuring him. He was taken to JNF Hospital where he was treated and warded in stable condition. Investigations are ongoing.”

On a visit to the hospital last week, Maynard told SKNVibes that the officer had fabricated the bottle-throwing incident and he has a different version to what the police reported.

Maynard said that he and a friend, James Carty, who are working as landscapers at the Christophe Harbour development, had left their work site and was imbibing while listening to the Labour Party’s political meeting in the vicinity of the Bus and Ferry Terminal in Basseterre on the day in question.

He stated that they left for St. Paul’s shortly before the meeting ended, and on arrival there they decided to have a “wash down” before going to their respective homes.

“We catch a bus and headed for St. Paul’s. When we reach in St. Pauls de road was block off, so we walk through de Ghaut and went straight to Pauline shop. We then left there and went to Lorna shop, but James didn’t go in de shop de same time with me.

“While I was in de shop, a police officer collar me up and de same time James walk in de shop and tell de police ‘gi the man a chance nuh, you dun know we had lil drinks’. I didn’t really know wha ah went on with because we drink ah lil beer too. Then de police seh he want search me. He search me body and everything clear, and then me and James left de shop,” Maynard said.  

He however admitted that he did make some statements in the officer’s presence, such as “Me aint do nobody anything…me aint commit no crime and yet police only come harassing me”.

Maynard said that shortly after leaving Lorna’s shop he and Carty were walking down a track that leads to the main road, from where they would have gone to their respective homes. But on looking back they observed the police officer was following them.

He added that while he continued to make his way to the main road, Carty had waited to engage the officer in conversation.

“The two ah dem was still chatting and when we reach on the main road I turn around and seh, ‘Boy James leh we go home now.’ All this time the chatting was still going on and de officer was still following we up.

“When I reach close by me gate now, de officer grab me bag that been on me back. So ah tek out me hand from the bag and when ah turn round all ah hear is bap. 

Maynard said after hearing that sound he felt a pain in his stomach, saw a gun in the officer’s hand and it was only then he realised that he was shot.

“Ah tell he, ‘Boy you shot me.’ And then ah fall down on de ground. Ah try to get up but ah couldn’t because ah start to feel meh right foot get numb. De officer den tell me that he get a report that we was disturbing de church, but we were never near de church…we went by Pauline shop and then to Lorna shop. So I can’t see how we disturb de church.

Maynard added that while on the ground writhing in pain, James tried to assist him to his feet but the officer “pull he gun after James and tell he to leave me on the ground”. He further stated that many people arrived on the scene and two women, including “Dr. Douglas cousin”, accompanied him to the hospital on arrival of a unit from the Emergency Medical Services.

When SKNVibes spoke with Carty, he confirmed that they were together imbibing in the vicinity of the Ferry Terminal.

“We leave the Labour meeting around eight and when we reach at St. Paul’s we walk through the ghaut and went up to Pauline’s shop. We spend at least about 15 minutes there. We had a drink and we leave to go along the street to go at Lorna’s shop. However, Elvis went ahead because I stop to speak to somebody. When I reach the shop I heard Elvis saying, ‘Leh me go…wha me do?’  When I walk in the shop I see the police hand inside Elvis throat and I tell him, ‘Leggo the man, you aint see that he aint able…leggo the man please.’

“He let him go and turn back and said, ‘You know wha…ah gon search you’. He searched Elvis. He search his bag, search his pockets and nothing what he was looking for was found. So me and Elvis walk out the shop and was going home. We walk across Davis Road, reach to Rawlins Ground Road and when I look back I realise the cop was walking behind us. He caught up with us and was walking along with us side by side going down Rawlins Ground,” Carty said.

Carty noted that while they were walking he heard Maynard telling the officer, “You already hold me up and search me, but don’t feel because you done that you have the power over me…you are not the power over me.”

He continued: “When we reach at the bottom of the road in Rawlins Ground, at the junction by Miss Carty, I stopped there lingering, and when I look up the road on Main Street I saw Elvis standing next to the road wall and the police was standing in the middle of the road next to Midway Supermarket.

“I live on the opposite side of Elvis and when I was walking up to reach him, the police was also walking up to him. When I was about five feet away from them I didn’t hear no bad word cursing and no bottle throwing as the report said. I reach a bit closer and Elvis face was turned in the direction going to Dieppe Bay and I saw the police officer was getting closer to him.

“When Elvis turn around to face the police officer, he put his left hand on Elvis right shoulder and it was then I heard the gunshot. Elvis fall to the ground and I tried to pick him up and the police officer stopped me and told me to move away. When I looked up at him is then I realise that he was pointing the gun in my face. I say to him, ‘What you mean,’ and he in turn said, ‘You under arrest.’”

Carty said he could not have understood what the officer meant by that statement because all he was trying to do is help his friend and workmate, who was crying out in pain. He however pointed out that the police officer did not arrest him and he was taken away from the scene by someone whom he could not recall.

Carty admitted to being intoxicated at the time of the incident “but I was not drunk”. He further stated that he visited Maynard at the hospital on the following Sunday and thereafter gave a statement to the police at St. Paul’s Police Station.

When contacted for a comment, the Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Cromwell Henry, informed this media house that investigations were ongoing.