Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter
HUTCHINSON
WESTERN BUREAU:
J.C. HUTCHINSON, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament for North West St. Elizabeth, is filing a lawsuit against Deputy Superintendent of Police Maurice Robinson, who charged him during the JLP-led islandwide protests last Tuesday.
"I'm suing him for unlawful detention of property (my firearm). He gave me no reasons why he took it away. The other ground is assault ... he just came and grabbed me up," Mr. Hutchinson told The Gleaner yesterday.
DSP Robinson is in charge of operations for the parish of St. Elizabeth.
He said St. Elizabeth-based attorney-at-law Jeremy Palmer will be filing the suit on his behalf and should complete it by Thursday.
"The amount in damages will be determined by now and Wednesday," the MP concluded.
Mr. Hutchinson is scheduled to appear in the Black River Resident Magistrate's Court tomorrow to answer charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and breaches of the Solid Waste Management Act (formerly the Anti-Litter Act).
The charges arose out of an incident that occurred along the Lacovia main road in St. Elizabeth at 4:15 p.m. last Tuesday. Allegations are that a group of protesters was observed mounting roadblocks along the roadway. It is said that Mr. Hutchinson, who was identified as the leader of the group, was instructed to remove the roadblocks, but refused. The police allegedly attempted to arrest him but were prevented by protesters.
The MP was instead warned of prosecution by Deputy Super-intendent Maurice Robinson and his licensed firearm was also seized.
