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Lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, 2nd from right, her clients, Carly John, right, and Cherry-Ann Caine, 2nd left, along with Senator Shevorn John, Mr. John's wife, outside the Kingstown Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. (iWN photo)
Lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, 2nd from right, her clients, Carly John, right, and Cherry-Ann Caine, 2nd left, along with Senator Shevorn John, Mr. John’s wife, outside the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. (iWN photo)
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A lawyer for the man who police put in a chokehold during the protest in Kingstown, then charged him with three offences, has questioned why the officer was not charged with attempted murder.

Kay Bacchus-Baptiste told the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, on Tuesday, after the arraignment of her client, Carly Browne, of Owia, that she had expected to see an attempted murder charge against the officer, said to be Police Constable 700 Verrol Sam.

After making the comment, the lawyer, looking in the direction of the prosecution table, said that her comment was not a joke, adding that she had seen “people smiling”.

She told the court that she will call for an attempted murder charge to be brought against the officer.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett did not comment on the lawyer’s intervention, repeating only the date set for a trial.

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John, who is opposition senator, Shevorn John’s husband, as well as Cherry-Ann Caine, who is alleged to have attempted to free him from the chokehold, were arraigned, on Tuesday.

Carly John 1
Defendant Carly John outside the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. (iWN photo)

John pleaded not guilty to charges that on Sept. 9, in Kingstown, he assaulted Racquel Coombs of Ottley Hall, causing actual bodily harm; resisted the arrest of Sam, he being an officer acting in the due execution of his duty; and, assaulted Sam, he being an officer acting in the due execution of his duty.

Caine, who was also represented by Bacchus-Baptiste, pleaded not guilty to a charge that on Sept. 9, in Kingstown, she obstructed Sam, he being a police officer acting in the due execution of his duty.

Cherry Ann Caine
Defendant Cherry-Ann Caine outside the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. (iWN photo)

The court allowed station bail to continue.

In Cain’s matter, the court ordered disclosure by Oct. 14 and set trial of Jan. 24, 2022.

Disclosure in John’s matters has been ordered by Oct. 19, and trial set for Jan. 26, 2022.

Shevern Johns husband
Carly John, opposition senator Shevern John’s husband is arrested by police on Thursday.

8 replies on “Lawyer wants attempted murder charge against cop (+video)”

  1. nancysauldemers says:

    One of the key phrases here is “acting in the due execution of his duty.” I can’t see how placing anyone in a potentially lethal chokehold (as pictured) could ever be considered due execution of any police officer’s duty. At best, it seems to reflect extremely poor training, and a lack of judgement and self-control on the officer’s part, ranging to potentially lethal recklessness, unnecessarily endangering a life of a citizen he should be protecting and serving, right up to and including what Ms. Bacchus-Baptiste has suggested: attempted murder. At the very least I would expect an investigation into this incident to identify all the factors that led to this inappropriate tactic being used and including recommendations as to what needs to be changed to avoid a recurrance of this type of blatantly excessive force, which, thank God, is no longer condired acceptable anywhere in our world.

  2. That police seems to be wicked, hope he do not have children, because it is written, the sour grapes the parents eat will set he children teeth on edge.

  3. This is,very bad for AVG CITIZENS.the very people who r suppose to be protecting the people are d ones attacking and maiming them.

  4. Nathan 'Jolly' Green says:

    No one should stand by and allow a police officer strangle and choke a person they are tackling. It is a natural reaction for a mans wiff or another police officer or any member of the public to help save the life of a person being strangled. They should be charging the police officer not the people who tried to stop him from the possible killing by strangulation and choking of another.

    https://barbadosunderground.net/2021/09/12/is-this-attempted-murder-bystrangulation/

  5. That man should not be a police Officer. If he treated that man like that with so many people around, how would he have treated him at night if no one was around. I totally agree with the lawyer.

Comments closed.