Two men who were allegedly involved in a recent shootout with the police at Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD) were yesterday granted $240,000 bail each, after being slapped with four charges when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Shakeil Grant, 24, of Lot 40 Plum Park, Sophia and Jason Gonzalves, 26, of Lot 69 Dennis Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, appeared in the courtroom of Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty and were granted $60,000 bail on each of the four joint charges against them. Teon Allen, called ‘Spoil Child’, who was also allegedly involved in the shooting, was not present at court yesterday. Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers had told the court, before the two men were charged yesterday, that Allen had been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital and was discharged but was later admitted to the Woodlands Hospital.
The charges against the duo are in relation to a shootout with the police which took place late November. During the shootout, Allen, a former policeman, was injured and the car the trio occupied crashed into a parapet of a Rahaman’s Park, Houston property. The three were subsequently arrested.
The first charge against Grant and Gonzalves stated that on November 26th, at the Houston Public Road, EBD, they discharged a loaded firearm at Mohan Khan, an Inspector of Police, with intend to maim, disfigure, disarm or cause the officer grievous bodily harm. It was also alleged that on the same date and at the same place, they had in their possession a 9mm pistol while not being the lawful holder of a firearm licence in force at the time.
They were additionally charged with having sixteen 9mm rounds of ammunition in their possession on the same date and at the same location as the previous charges while not being the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time. Lastly, it is alleged that on November 26th at the Houston Public Road, Grant and Gonsalves had in their possession seven .45 rounds of ammunition while not being the lawful holder of a firearm licence in force
at the time.
Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman told the court that on the day in question, during a roadblock, police acting on information stopped the car which Allen was driving. According to the prosecutor, the police were told that the occupants of the vehicle were acting in a suspicious manner. After stopping the vehicle, Allen allegedly raised a firearm and shot at an officer. Other officers, who were around and armed with weapons, retaliated and Allen was injured. After having the men arrested, a search of the vehicle was conducted and the ammunition was found.
Attorney Ronald Daniels represented Grant and he told the court that his client, who is the father of a four-year-old, has never had any issues with the law. He said that Grant, after recently becoming a miner, came to Georgetown after being in the interior for some time. Counsel said that upon his client’s arrival in the city, he caught a taxi, which was the same vehicle that Allen was driving. Daniels said that his client has informed him that he and Allen have no prior relationship and he had no knowledge of the firearm being in the vehicle. The attorney also mentioned that Allen was wanted by the police in September and from the facts presented by the prosecutor, Allen was seen with the gun. He finished by telling the court that the two men charged were mere passengers in the vehicle when the shootout started.
The duo was granted bail with a condition of Gonzalves’ bail being that he lodges his passport with the court. Additionally, both men must report at the Ruimveldt Police Station on the first Friday of every month at 9 am. They were also ordered to return to court on January 8th, 2020, when the matter will be called again.
Allen is yet to be charged. As mentioned by Grant’s attorney, a wanted bulletin for Allen was issued by the police in September. It was issued in connection with the attempted murder of two women, Denise Grant and Tiffany Mc Deth. Allen subsequently surrendered and faced a charge of discharging a loaded firearm, for which he was granted bail.
In October, he was the target of a shooting at La Penitence Market. Two men have since been charged with trying to kill him.
In August 2017, Allen was charged with harbouring wanted men Mark Royden Williams and Uree Varswyck – who had escaped from the Camp Street Prison on July 9, 2017.
Also in January of the same year, Allen was among three men who were charged with the illegal possession of an AK-47 and matching ammunition. They were taken into custody after the items were found by the police during a raid at a John Street, Campbellville house.
Allen was also charged in relation to several other offences, including armed robbery.
