A teenager is to go on trial on June 3 for reportedly punching a policeman in his face after the law enforcer reprimanded him for touching his teen daughter on her buttocks.

The 19-year-old accused, Kemar Henry of Albion Heights, St Thomas, allegedly punched the policeman and damaged his shirt after the cop confronted him saying: “Me nuh like man hold me daughter dem place deh, dat a indecent assault.”

The alleged incident occurred on March 3 at the Yallahs bus bay at West Parade in downtown Kingston.

According to the policeman in his statement, on the day in question he was at the bus bay watching his 13-year-old daughter board a Toyota Coaster bus when he saw Henry grab her by her uniform in the vicinity of her buttocks and pulled her off the bus.

The policeman said he called out to Henry, identified himself as a cop and showed him his identification.

The policeman said he then told Henry that he did not like the way that he had touched his daughter and that what he had done was regarded as indecent assault.

Henry reportedly then grabbed the policeman by his shirt and punched him in his face. The cop retaliated and returned the punch, triggering a tussle during which Henry reportedly tore the buttons from the policeman’s shirt and also tore the shirt, valued at $2,000.

The cop reportedly managed to subdue Henry and was assisted by his colleagues in taking Henry to a police station.

Henry, when cautioned by the police, reportedly told them: “Offica, mi neva touch her no way. Is her bag mi pull and the man rush mi, so mi defend miself. Him never show mi nuh ID.”

Henry was charged with malicious destruction of property and common assault.

Last Wednesday when the accused appeared before Resident Magistrate Simone Wolfe-Reece, he pleaded guilty to the charges but told the court that he was acting in self-defence.

“This gentleman here first attack mi,” Henry told the magistrate. “Him first drape mi and punch mi and mi retaliate and punch him.”

Henry also insisted that the cop did not inform him that he was a policeman.

The magistrate, after hearing Henry’s explanation, told him that she was not going to accept his guilty plea and set the case for trial on June 3. Henry’s bail was then extended.