MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man accused of wielding a machete at two police officers, prompting one of them to fire two shots, has been granted bail to facilitate a psychiatric assessment.

Richard Russell, 45, of Dumfries, St James, pleaded not guilty to assault at common law before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce when he appeared in the St James Parish Court last Wednesday.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on January 13 in Dumfries when two police constables were dispatched to investigate a report of a fire that had been lit and was causing disturbance.

When the cops arrived on the scene, they discovered two massive fires in Russell’s yard, with smoke billowing. They spoke with the defendant and asked him to extinguish the fires. Russell ran to his house and returned with a knife, menacingly brandishing it at the officers. They asked him to drop the knife, and one of the cops drew his gun.

The allegations are that Russell dashed back into his house and returned with a machete, which he wielded menacingly at the lawmen. One cop fired two rounds before Russell dropped his weapon, bringing the stand-off to an end.

Russell declined to accompany the cops to the police station and remained seated until backup arrived.

During the bail hearing, attorney Henry McCurdy explained that his client works as a landscaper and was disposing of waste by burning it.

The court clerk expressed objections to granting bail. She expressed the view that Russell may abscond and not appear for trial, given his previous defiance towards law enforcement during the stand-off and his resistance to accompanying them to the police station.

“Based on his demeanour, it appears he does not feel as if he needs to subject himself to any law,” the clerk said.

She added that Russell might interfere with the witnesses and that he has been a nuisance to his community. She also referred to an aunt’s statement in which she disclosed that she suspects that Russell suffers from mental illness. The aunt said his behaviour towards the police was not strange as he has been behaving that way for more than 20 years. She said she had to call the police with complaints about Russell on several occasions.

The judge, however, decided to grant Russell bail in the sum of $300,000 with up to two sureties. He was also instructed to report at a specific police station on specific days and to surrender his travel documents. Additionally, he was instructed to stay away from the Adelphi and Dumfries area.

“He is bailed for the purpose of getting psychiatric evaluation and possible treatment. It means that if a report is not on the file by the next court date, he will be remanded back in custody where we can ensure that he is in the dock,” Grant-Pryce said of Russell before he was allowed to leave the courtroom.

The matter returns to court on April 8.