‘Too Cool’ denies being aggressor when he shot man in Kingstown

Popular DJ and radio personality Too Cool Chris is slated to continue presenting his defence by calling witnesses on Sept. 29, in the case in which he is charged with malicious wounding for shooting a man three times in Kingstown.

The 57-year-old defendant, whose given name is Christopher Jones, is charged with wounding Kevin Patterson, a 32-year-old fisherman of Lodge Village, by shooting him in his left hip, left hand, and right leg near the Financial Complex, Kingstown, around 8:30 p.m. on July 4, 2024.

The trial is taking place before Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court.

Patterson was charged that on July 4, 2024, at Heritage Square, Kingstown, he struck Jones on his left hand with a glass bottle, causing actual bodily harm.

However, on Aug. 18, Magistrate John Ballah dismissed the charge against him after a full trial at the Calliaqua Magistrate’s Court.

The magistrate held that while Jones and Patterson had given consistent evidence and they both had injuries, there were no independent witnesses to support either of their cases.

He held that where there is doubt, the court is obliged to rule in favour of the defendant.

When Jones’ trial resumes, he is expected to call a police officer as a witness.

Jones, a host of the popular “AM Mayhem” on Hot 97 FM, mounted the stand in his own defence on July 18.

After Jones testified, his lawyer, Grant Connell, and the prosecutor, acting Sergeant of Police Shamrock Pierre, crossed swords over a police officer whom the lawyer informed the court that he would like to call.

Alleged death threat

Jones, a resident of Richmond Hill, Kingstown, who holds a permit to carry a firearm, told the court that on the night in question, he was providing DJ services at Lano’s Bar at Heritage Square, in the city.

He said that between 8:30 and 8:35 p.m., a glass bottle smashed on the wall of the bar.

“When I turned around, Mr. Patterson was there. I honestly thought at that time that some other persons were having a brawl or something, hence the bottle was pelted loosely and hence smashed on the wall.”

Jones told the court that 5 to 8 minutes later, another bottle smashed on the wall.

“I turned around again and saw Mr. Patterson and that time, his utterances were, ‘I going to kill yo mot******t tonight.’”

Jones said the virtual complainant (VC) repeated the statement three times before running away.

“I thought he was gone and about 5-8 minutes again, an object struck me on the upper left arm, an object being a glass bottle, crashed on the wall and Mr. Patterson was there again, repeating the same utterances, and he repeated them three times, as before.’”

Jones said the defendant ran off again.

He testified that one Kenroy was selling soup on the opposite side of the bar.

“He said to me, ‘Forget about that. Leh we eat some soup,” Jones said, adding that Kenroy, whose surname he could not recall, brought him a bowl of soup.

“I didn’t get to eat it. I didn’t enjoy my good cowheel soup. At that time, Mr. Patterson came back. I saw him when he lifted his arm to pelt another bottle, and at that time, I had to drop to the floor, throw away my soup and, again, he repeated the same utterances as he did before. He ran off. This time for a longer period.”


Jones testified that he was at the same spot for 15 to 20 minutes, and then he headed to the Central Police Station to lodge a complaint.

“As I got past Penny Bank going down, I continuously heard again, the same utterances that were uttered before and Mr. Patterson was then following me,” Jones said.

“When I got in close proximity to Home Centre, he shouted out, ‘Yo stinking yo mot******t, I am going to kill you!”

He ran up, he was behind me; hold me by my left hand and pulling me, repeating the same utterances again. I pulled away. He was in front of me, he repeated the same set of utterances, ‘Yo dead tonight. I’m going to kill yo mot******t!’”

Jones said that while he was heading down to the Central Police Station, the VC was repeating the utterances.

“This time, he is in front of me. I drew my firearm, had it down. I went past the same Lynch officer and on passing Mr. Lynch, Mr. Patterson turned around, proceeded to put his hand in the bag he had on his shoulder while repeating again, ‘Ah go kill yo mot******t!’

“I said to him, ‘Do not take your hand out of the bag because I do not know what is in there’,” Jones told the court, adding that the VC made a step forward.

“I said to him again, ‘Please stay there; this will not end well.’ He continued cursing, saying he is going to kill me — the usual utterances again.

“I shouted the second time, ‘Stay there! This will not end well!’ He proceeded to come at me, attempted to take his hand out of the bag and that is where the first shot rang out.”

Jones said that the first shot struck Patterson in the wrist.

“He was still coming. Second shot in his knee. He was still coming. I ran around to the taxi stand and he still coming, same utterances again, and at that time is when the last shot went off.”

Jones said the VC then fell to the floor.

“In my mind, I felt the threat was neutralised because he was on the ground. At that time, the officer at the central station, the sentry, came over and he asked for the weapon.

“In the first instance, when he asked for the weapon, in the heat of the moment, I did not hear him. He asked a second time, which I gave to him.”

Jones said some other police officers then came over, “and at that time, Mr. Patterson on the floor, saying, ‘Wah me do you? I never do you nothing. I don’t know you.’”

Jones said he was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department at the Central Police Station.

He said that when he gave the sergeant, whose name he could not recall, the name “Kevin Patterson”, the sergeant remarked, “He again? We weary carry he Mental Home.”

Jones said that a police officer questioned him.

He said his vehicle was parked adjacent to Penny Bank.

“I asked that the police escort me to get my vehicle. The sergeant said it was not wise to go for the vehicle in case Mr. Patterson has a gang. They then kept me there for an hour and a half, after which they sent someone for my vehicle. They brought it down. I was told to leave and come back the next morning to give a statement. And here we are today,” Jones said.

Responding to questions from his lawyer, Jones told the court that he has had a licensed firearm for 12 to 15 years and its purpose is to protect himself, his property and his family.

He said he used the firearm on Patterson because he felt his life was under threat.

Jones told the court that he was not able to see what the individual had in the bag.

He, however, said he was able to see the exhibit — a knife — that the investigating officer, PC Patrick, had in court earlier that day as he testified.

Connell pointed out to Jones that Patrick said that the knife could cut someone’s neck but not Jones’. Jones said that he did not agree with this.

The defendant told the court that he had never used a box cutter.

‘a scene like fighting’

During cross examination by the prosecutor, Jones said he gave the police a statement the day after the shooting.

He said the incident was fresh in your mind at that point.

The defendant told the court that he did not refer to the VC by name when he went to the CPS the night of the shooting, adding that he did not know his name then.

Jones said that he had not had any encounter with Patterson before the night of the incident, but had seen him around.

The defendant agreed that he is one of the most popular DJs in the country.

He said that while he would not say that Heritage Square was at full capacity at 8:30 p.m., it had a lot of people.

He said the area in which he was working  was well-lit because the bar had lights, but it was not covered with a tent or anything.

Jones said he was in a section that was cordoned off for the DJ but attached to the bar.

“I was the only person there, which has clear visibility to the bar,” he told the court.

The defendant said the bar was in front of him and there were at least eight to 10 people in the bar and he knew three or four of them.

Jones said he was to the right-hand side of the bar when the bottle smashed and the three people who were closest to the bar also reacted.

He said it was crowded in the immediate vicinity but he was able to see Patterson, because he was “right in front of me”.

Asked if Patterson had attempted to do anything after smashing the bottle, Jones said the VC was cursing then ran off.

Asked if the crowd remain the same after the bottle smashed, Jones said there was “a scene like fighting”.

Jones testified that he did not know who threw the first bottle, but he knew who threw the second.

He said he did not see Patterson throw the bottle, but other people who had seen it identified him.


“Where was Kevin Patterson, according to you, standing at the second time?” Pierre asked the defendant.

“At the same place,” Jones said.

He said that Patterson did not attempt to do him anything after pelting the second bottle, “but he uttered the same utterances”.

Jones told the court that on the second occasion, Patterson was wearing short pants and a t-shirt.

He said he did not see Patterson before he pelted a bottle the third time but the bottle deflected and smashed on the wall.

He said Patterson came back about five minutes after he (Jones) collected the soup, and he dropped to the ground because he was concerned for his safety.

Jones said he was carrying his licensed firearm at that point but did not draw the weapon.

He told the court that he does not drink alcohol when he is DJing “because it is a game where you have to keep your head on”.

VC held on to hand in which defendant held gun

The defendant agreed with the prosecutor that more than 30 minutes elapsed between when the first bottle was pelted and when he decided to go to the police station. 

Jones said he walked under the Penny Bank gallery on his way to CPS. He agreed with the prosecutor that the area is not well-lit.

“But you were concerned about your safety?” Pierre said, and Jones responded, “Yes.”

Jones denied that it was when he was walking under Penny Bank that he drew his firearm.

He also said that apart from the three times when Patterson threw the bottles, he had not seen him in the company of anyone else.

The defendant said that while walking near Home Centre with the firearm in his left hand, Patterson held on to that hand.

He said that before Patterson held on to the hand in which he (Jones) held the firearm, he was behind him, making the same utterance about killing Jones.

Jones said he did not turn around to see who was speaking, “because I knew the voice at that time”.

“But you were concerned for your safety?” Pierre said. Jones responded, “Yes.”

He said he was fearful then, but did not turn around.

Jones said he drew his firearm and at that point, Patterson walked past him and held on to the hand in which he held the firearm.

The defendant acknowledged that the main road in the area is his left-hand side.

He said Patterson was in front of him as he was crossing the road and he still had the firearm in his hand.

Jones said the area is an open area, but he did not know whether it was possible for someone crossing the street to have seen him with the firearm in his hand.

“But you will not disagree if someone said they saw that?” Pierre said.

“I don’t know,” Jones said.

He estimates that Patterson was three of four feet ahead of him when he crossed the road, and the defendant’s back was turned to him.

Patterson did not say anything to Jones at this point. Jones said he could not recall if people were in the immediate vicinity at that time “because my mission was to get to the barracks”.

“The imminent danger is now in front of you — three or four feet in front of you?” Pierre said.

“Yes,” Jones responded.

He said that two of them were heading in the same direction.

He said he was carrying a holster but did not reholster the firearm.

Jones said Patterson was not carrying anything in his hand when he walked passed him, neither did he have anything in his hand when he turned around.

“When he turned, he took the bag from his shoulder and put it under his arm with the same utterance.

Jones said he still had the gun in his hand but it was also still at his side but he did not inform Patterson that he was carrying a firearm.

“And you say to him a second time, ‘Stay dey, this will not end well for you?’” Pierre said.

“Because he made two steps to me and I backed away.”

Jones said he could not recall in which wrist or foot he shot Patterson or under which shoulder he had the bag.

VC ‘came skipping’ at Too Cool after being shot

“So after he was shot in his hand and leg, you ran away from him and he came after you?” Pierre said.

“He came skipping,” Jones said.

He told the court that the third shot struck Patterson in the hip, as he had aimed it.

“So, I am correct to say you were running away from him before the third shot?” Pierre said.

“Yes,” Jones responded.

“But you were able to aim at his hip while running away?” Pierre said.

“Because he is coming to me,” Jones said.

Pierre referred to Jones’ statement to the police on July 5.

The defendant said Pierre “may be” correct if he said the first shot struck Patterson in his foot.

“And if I say to you, according to you, when the second shot rang out, the man turned to avoid the shot and it hit him in his batty, I would be correct?” Pierre asked.

“Maybe,” Pierre said.

Jones said that as a licensed firearm holder, he visits the range to practice. He agreed that ammunition travels very quickly when discharged.

The prosecutor put it to Jones that Patterson did not attack him at all that night.

“I am saying to you that it is not so,” Jones said.

He maintained that Patterson posed an imminent threat when he shot him and denied running behind Patterson.

Jones said he did not know the prosecution witness, Julian “Short Boss” Richards, before he testified in the case.

Pierre said that Richards had given “a true picture” of what took place that night.

“He said when he saw the person walking down on the crossing with the gun in he hand, he say, ‘Oh f**k, this ah Mexico?’” Pierre said.

“You also heard him say that he noticed that the rasta was ahead of you?” the prosecutor stated.

“That’s what I said,” Jones said.

“And you heard him say that when the shot rang out, the rasta man run around the taxi stand. And I am putting it to you that even after Kevin Patterson fell, you ran over him and kicked him.”

Jones denied that was the case.

He said Police Officer Humphrey responded to the scene about five minutes after Patterson was on the ground bleeding, asking what he had done.

Jones said that while the gun was not in the holster at this time, he was not pointing it at Patterson.

“And according to you, the police came and asked you for your weapon and in your own words, ‘in the heat of the moment’, you didn’t give him. In fact, they had to ask you a second time,” Pierre said, and Jones confirmed this was the case.

“They didn’t pull their gun on you, seeing that you had your gun, disobeying their order,” he said, and Jones, again, confirmed this was the case.

“That’s trained people,” Pierre said. “I am putting it to you that you were the aggressor.

Jones denied this was the case or that all of the evidence points to him being the aggressor.

He said he was not sure how far he was from the Central Police Station when he shot Patterson the first time, but said it was on the same block.

Jones disagreed that while Patterson was in front of him, he (Jones) had “ample routes” to reach the CPS.

He said he did not attempt to walk around or run away from Patterson.

“That would have made you feel like a coward?” Pierre said. 
Jones denied that this was the case or that he had left Heritage Square to find Patterson.

He also denied that the first shot had struck Patterson on the buttocks as he was walking away.