The three policemen charged with the shooting death of
Carlton Grant Junior, son of popular dancehall artiste Spragga Benz, were
released on bail today when they appeared in the Half-Way-Tree Criminal Court.
Constables Audley Lawrence and Andre Hare, who are charged jointly with the murder of the teenager, were each offered bail in the sum of $300,000.
The other policeman, Sergeant Michael Blackwood, who is charged with assault, was offered $10,000 bail.
The cops were charged Tuesday, following a ruling by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn.
Carlton, 17, was fatally shot by the police on Church Street in Kingston on the night of August 23.
The policemen reported that they were shot at after responding to a call that a woman had been robbed by men travelling on a bicycle.
The cops say they recovered a gun from the teenager.
Sergeant Blackwood was accused of assaulting the sole eyewitness to the incident.
However, defence attorney Valerie Neita Robertson is challenging the ruling of the DPP against the Sergeant.
"There really are some serious concerns about the ruling of the DPP in relation to Sergeant Blackwood, because the witness has said he can't identify persons and there are really as far as we are concerned we see no nexus that would cause the prosecution to charge Mr. Blackwood in this matter," she said.
She maintains that the policemen were carrying out their duty when they shot the 17-year-old.
Relatives of the deceased and residents have strongly refuted the police's claim and insist that Carlton was shot in cold blood.
The policemen are scheduled to return to court on December 11.
Constables Audley Lawrence and Andre Hare, who are charged jointly with the murder of the teenager, were each offered bail in the sum of $300,000.
The other policeman, Sergeant Michael Blackwood, who is charged with assault, was offered $10,000 bail.
The cops were charged Tuesday, following a ruling by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn.
Carlton, 17, was fatally shot by the police on Church Street in Kingston on the night of August 23.
The policemen reported that they were shot at after responding to a call that a woman had been robbed by men travelling on a bicycle.
The cops say they recovered a gun from the teenager.
Sergeant Blackwood was accused of assaulting the sole eyewitness to the incident.
However, defence attorney Valerie Neita Robertson is challenging the ruling of the DPP against the Sergeant.
"There really are some serious concerns about the ruling of the DPP in relation to Sergeant Blackwood, because the witness has said he can't identify persons and there are really as far as we are concerned we see no nexus that would cause the prosecution to charge Mr. Blackwood in this matter," she said.
She maintains that the policemen were carrying out their duty when they shot the 17-year-old.
Relatives of the deceased and residents have strongly refuted the police's claim and insist that Carlton was shot in cold blood.
The policemen are scheduled to return to court on December 11.
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