Portmore men accused of shooting at cops freed due to inconsistencies in testimonies of police witnesses

Three men accused of firing at cops during an incident in Portmore, St Catherine in 2023 have been acquitted after the Gun Court found serious inconsistencies in the testimonies of police witnesses at the trial.

Among other things, the court found that the crime scene was tampered with.

Nigel McClarty, Ryan Muir, also known as ‘Titi Man’, Duwamdre Williams, also called, ‘Bwoy Bwoy’, all of Portmore addresses, were found not guilty of shooting with intent, using a firearm to commit a felony, unauthorized possession of ammunition and possession of a prohibited weapon.

Reports are that on August 14, the men, including a now deceased individual called ‘Scaley’, were at the entrance of Portmore Villa on Dyke Road when two policemen tried to accost them.

The men allegedly drew firearms, prompting a gunfight.

The officers claimed that only one of them fired back and discharged two rounds.

However, during the trial, which started on March 3 and ended last Friday, presiding judge Justice Vaughn Smith found multiple serious inconsistencies in the police officers’ testimonies, ultimately leading to the men’s release.

Among the significant inconsistencies highlighted during the trial was that the spent casing found at the scene did not match the firearm that the officer testified about.

The judge also found that the crime scene had been tampered with as the police service vehicle in which the officers were travelling was also photographed in a different location other than where the officer said it was left and no explanation was given as to why the vehicle was moved after the area was cordoned off.

The two police witnesses also had in their statement that after the shooting, the men ran into the Gulf community, but both later acknowledged during cross-examination that the men had run away from the community and that the error was a typo.

The accused men, however, in their defense, said they were elsewhere at the time of the shooting and each called their alibi witnesses.

Attorney-at-law Denise Hinson represented McClarty, Abina Morris represented Williams, while attorneys Stephen Palmer and Tyler-Rae Rerrie appeared for Williams.

- Tanesha Mundle

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