KINGSTON, Jamaica — A police constable was freed on Monday in the Half Way Tree Parish Court after a no-case submission by his attorneys, Peter Champagnie KC and Samoi Campbell, was upheld.

Kemmar Hutchinson, 35, was charged with unlawful wounding and making a false declaration contrary to Section 33 of the INDECOM Act.

The charges stemmed from an incident that took place on February 28, 2021, in the Love Lane/Charles Street area in Kingston.

Hutchinson, who was in the company of another policeman, was travelling in a service vehicle when he saw Chad Stewart walking and acting suspiciously, reports said.

It is reported that Stewart continuously disobeyed Hutchinson’s commands to stop and then attempted to flee.

In his statement to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), Hutchinson said that Stewart had pulled a firearm from his waist and pointed it in his direction, prompting him to fire in self-defence.

The prosecution relied on CCTV footage capturing part of the altercation as evidence against Hutchinson.

At trial, however, his attorneys, during a no-case submission, argued that critical aspects of the incident were not fully captured in the video presented to the court.

There was also evidence that Stewart himself was charged with the offences of illegal possession of a firearm and assault after a gun was recovered from him during the incident.

At the time of the incident, there was reportedly also a warrant out for the arrest of Stewart.