A youth who yesterday pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including assaulting a peace officer, was fined after being reprimanded by a city magistrate.
Tyrese Hoppie, 19, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in a city court, where he pleaded guilty to three charges.
He admitted that on August, 4, at Croal and Cornhill streets, he unlawfully assaulted a peace officer, acting in the execution of his duty. He was also charged with resisting arrest and using abusive language toward the officer, which he also admitted.
According to the Police Prosecutor, the police officer was dressed in his full uniform and was performing duties when he observed Hoppie shouting at passengers. He said that the officer warned Hoppie and asked him to stop behaving in that manner. But Hoppie exclaimed that he could do what he wanted to do. The officer then attempted to arrest Hoppie however, he did not oblige. Hoppie allegedly cuffed the officer in his face and a crowd gathered while Hoppie continued to resist.
However, according to Hoppie, the officer has frequently arrested him and on the day in question, the officer approached him in a rude manner, which he responded to in a like tone. He told the court that he is aware that he should not have done so but that he was simply responding in the same way the man had talked to him. He further said that he has a conductor’s licence, which he showed the officer, but that the man continues to harass him when he sees him. He further said that the officer assaulted him.
Following his explanation, the magistrate told him that his behaviour was wrong and disrespectful to the officer. She further inquired from the prosecutor whether the man had been arrested on several occasions by the officer but never charged, which the prosecutor was able to confirm. He said that he was told of a more recent instance. Principal Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus then told Hoppie that because of his age she would not impose the maximum penalty but she told him that he should use the penalty as a lesson.
Hoppie was fined $20,000 for the assault charge, or in default 40 days in jail. He was also ordered to perform three months of community service or in default three weeks imprisonment for the resisting arrest charge. Hoppie was advised to report to the Brickdam Police Station every Monday at 9 am to conduct the hour-long weekly service until November. Additionally, he was fined $10,000 for using abusive language towards the officer.
