The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men with the aliases ‘Boo Boo’ and ‘Smiley’ have been accused of trying to kill the Deputy Prime Minister’s aide.

The pair were arraigned in the magistrates’ court yesterday in connection with the shooting of Philip ‘Brave’ Davis’s aide, Sergeant Andrew Sweeting.

Nassau Village residents Antonio ‘Boo Boo’ Bowe, 18 and Leon ‘Smiley’ Chase, 24, were charged with attempted murder and attempted armed robbery before magistrate Ancella Evans-Williams.

Due to the nature of the charges, which are triable before a judge and jury in Supreme Court, the two were not required to enter a plea concerning the shooting.

On the morning of June 24, police were notified of a shooting at the rear of the Prince Charles Shopping Centre in a residential area.

Officers found Sergeant Sweeting shot and injured.

He was on duty at a location in a residential area at the rear of the shopping centre, when two assailants approached him and asked him to ‘free up’.

Sweeting tried to withdraw his service weapon to engage the pair but was shot in the lower abdomen and left palm.

‘Boo Boo’ Bowe and ‘Smiley’ Chase are accused of being the culprits.

Before the two were remanded until September 3, Bowe’s attorney Michael Kemp said the description of the wanted bulletin put out by the police in connection with the attack did not match the complexion of the suspects.

He also told magistrate Evans-Williams that his client had serious allegations he wished to be heard on.

Bowe told the court that police brutalised him, alleging: “When I was lock up, the officers them they beat me to give a false statement about ‘Smiley’ so they could lock us up. They carry me round by the canal, handcuff me and throw me overboard...naked.”

“They carried you where?” the magistrate asked.

“By the South Beach canal. They threw me overboard, me handcuffed and say if ‘we shoot the fella’. We ain’t shoot the fella. And I said I didn’t shoot the fella.”

Bowe claimed he told officers he was home lying next to his girlfriend when police came, kicked down the door and locked him up.

He claimed he was stomped on the head before a bag was placed on his head.

“You said they carried you to the canal and threw you overboard?” the magistrate asked.

“Yes ma’am” said Bowe, who went on to claim the beating resumed as officers tried to get him to ‘implicate Smiley’ concerning the shooting and made him sign a statement afterwards.

Bowe asked to be allowed to see a physician as he complained about pain in his ribs and ears.

“The officers tell us they gonna lost us in jail,” Bowe said.

Magistrate Evans-Williams said the court “has made a note of the allegation” and advised him of his right to file a complaint to the police force’s complaints and corruption unit.

Chase also made similar allegations of police brutality although he said he could not identify anyone because a black bag was allegedly over his head.

The magistrate told them of their right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail as they would be remanded to prison.