Kevin Bruce, who is accused of pulling a gun on a police constable, yesterday tearfully told a court that it was the other way around and that he ended up being shot.
Bruce, called ‘Banky,’ was brought yesterday to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded guilty to having a Taurus .32 pistol as well as to having 10 live rounds of matching ammunition in his possession, while he was not the holder of a firearm licence.
The two charges were read to him by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. It was alleged that on September 26th, at the East La Penitence Police Station, Bruce had a .32 Taurus pistol in his possession while he was not the lawful holder of a firearm licence at the time.
The second charge stated that on the same date and at the same location, he had 10 live .32 rounds of ammunition in his possession while not being the lawful holder of a firearm licence at the time.
Police Prosecutor Quinn Harris informed the court that on the day in question Police Constable Benjamin and a party of policemen from the East La Penitence Police Station were acting on information they received about a man being in a yard in which he did not belong and visited an address which they later realised was the home of a member of the force. The serving member is currently abroad.
He said when the officers entered the yard, they noticed Bruce exiting the house through a southern door with a haversack in his hand. When the police called out to him, he began to run and they followed. They were able to catch up to him. Constable Benjamin subsequently asked to conduct a search on him for illegal possession, but Bruce pushed him away, the prosecutor added, before noting that Bruce was then arrested and taken to the East La Penitence Police Station.
The court heard that while he was being escorted to the enquiries office at the police station, Bruce pulled the gun from his crotch and was face to face with Constable Benjamin. When he pointed the gun at the Constable, the Constable drew his service pistol and ordered Bruce to drop the weapon, the prosecutor said.
However, Bruce did not oblige and the Constable, fearful for his life, is said to have immediately discharged a round in Bruce’s direction. This made Bruce drop the gun and the police were able to quickly pick it up and have it lodged. Bruce was arrested and charged.
According to Bruce, who asked the magistrate for a chance to explain himself after the prosecutor was finished, he was left at the house by the caretaker. He said the man wanted to go to a party and so he stayed to look over the house for the night. While he was there he noticed persons entering the yard and because he thought they were bandits, he decided to exit through the back door. However he froze after he realised they were not bandits, but instead the police.
He told the court that he cooperated with the police when they asked to search him and that they did not find the gun when they conducted the search. He also said that he told them what he was doing in the house and that they also searched the house. Then they took him to the police station, he said, and it was then that he mentioned the gun to them and they retrieved it from his crotch.
He said the officers began to beat him and then took a service gun and shot him. Bruce had tears cascading from his eyes when he told the court that he was taken to the hospital, handcuffed to the bed and then taken to another police station, where he was not being treated even though he was crying out from the pain. He showed the magistrate his injury.
Asked whether the gun was his, Bruce told the court that the gun was handed to him by the caretaker. He was then remanded to prison until October 14th, when he was advised to return to court.
