An altercation between two prisoners resulted in a murder accused whipping out a knife to defend himself in the lock-ups of the city courts yesterday.
It is believed that as a result of the chaotic confrontation between the two men, Reagus Lamazon, the accused in the murder of taxi driver Orin David who was gunned down on August 1, 2016, pulled out a knife.
Vain attempts were made by the officers manning the lock-ups to retrieve the weapon from the irate prisoner.
Eventually, back-up was called and a truck filled with armed policemen arrived at the courts sometime later. Upon their arrival, armed officers surrounded the area facing the door of the lockups. A search was then conducted on all the prisoners, which was met with much disdain from Lamazon and other prisoners.
According to a prisoner, he refused to be searched because whatever weapon he had was for those who attacked them while they are at the Camp Street jail. He could be heard saying, “We gah get we thing too.”
A haphazard search was conducted on Lamazon and though he was observed with the weapon, this newspaper is uncertain if he was relieved of it.
Calm was eventually restored and business resumed as per normal at the courts until another prisoner, murder accused Timothy Paul Chance, was stabbed by two of his fellow co-accused in the lock-ups yesterday. These incidents are among several that have taken place within precincts of the courts in recent months, bringing the management of prisoners at the lock-ups under scrutiny.
