Former Tactical Services Unit (TSU) rank Ocquema Dawson was yesterday sentenced to a total of 84 months in prison after being found guilty of shooting a man during a confrontation and substituting unlicensed ammunition for the rounds he had fired.
Magistrate Judy Latchman handed down the sentences at the end of the trial of Dawson, 28, after announcing that the court had found him guilty as charged. The magistrate emphasised that a strong message needs to be sent to potential offenders, while noting that the public would not tolerate such abrasive action frpm members of the force.
The charges stem from a shooting on February 18, 2013, at the “Globe Yard” on Waterloo Street, during which Dawson, then a serving member of the police force, confronted a group of men.
It was alleged that Dawson, of 100 Murphy Street, Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara, discharged a loaded firearm at Philip Small, with intent to maim, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm. On the same day, he was also alleged to have had two live rounds of 9 mm ammunition in his possession without licence.
Dawson was also accused of unlawfully and maliciously damaging a $245,000 bulletproof vest, which was property of the police force but this charge was dismissed.
Dawson, who had served in the force for four years before the charges, denied the charges when they were read to him at his arraignment last year June.
Prosecutor Stephen Telford had told the court then that Dawson just walked up and held on to one of the men, prompting Small to intervene by speaking to him about how he had handled the man.
Dawson became annoyed and dealt Small a cuff and the man cuffed him back. The court was then told that Dawson discharged three shots from his service weapon, two of which hit Small on his right leg.
Regarding the unlicensed ammunition charge, Telford said that Dawson was issued his service weapon along with 15 rounds of ammunition from the TSU. However, he returned the weapon along with 14 rounds, when he should have returned 12, considering that three were discharged at Globe Yard, from which two matching spent shells were recovered.
As a result, Telford said, it was a clear case that the accused had obtained the two extra rounds by illegal means.
In explaining the sentences, Magistrate Latchman said the court noted that it took into account the fact that Dawson was a serving member of the police force at the time the offences were committed and ought to have exhibited better judgment with the use of his firearm. Additionally, the court considered the injury sustained to Phillip Small by Dawson after he discharged the gun.
Dawson was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment on the charge of discharging of a loaded firearm and 36 months and fined $50,000 for the unlicensed possession of ammunition charge.
