There was chaos this morning inside the Magistrate Court’s holding cell when men from rival factions were placed in one cell. The tensions boiled over between 9:30 and 10 when Jason Joseph, who is known to be from George Street, was placed in the holding cell after a court appearance. He joined Michael Young, Godfrey Hemsley and Tyrone Broaster, who are affiliated with Rocky Road. Joseph was outnumbered but he allegedly attacked Young. Courthouse observers say there were a few minutes of chaos in the small contained area before police contained the situation.
When it was over, Michael Young had a laceration on his eye and Jason Joseph had blood on his shirt. Joseph is awaiting trial for the murder of Jason Munnings in February. The others, Young, Godfrey Hemsley and Tyrone Broaster were answering a charge of discharging a firearm in public. That is for an incident which occurred early Saturday morning on Church Street near Kim’s Bar where police say they heard gunshots and saw a crowd running.
When police responded, a green Jeep Cherokee was going “up–stop” on Church Street. Police set chase and there was a high speed pursuit through West Canal, Rocky Road, Kut Avenue, West Street, Basra Street, South Street, Albert Street, and then Dickenson Street where the chase ended when the Cherokee crashed into a parked vehicle. The three Hemsley, Broaster, and Young were inside. They were searched but nothing was found on them. They claim they too were running from the gunshots.
They were arraigned separately this morning and police objected to bail for Tyrone Broaster, citing the morning’s earlier incident in the holding cell. He said it was gang related but his attorney Richard Dickie Bradley told Senior Magistrate Dorothy Flowers that the incident had nothing to do with the reason Broaster was in court and so she can’t hold it against him. Flowers agreed and Broaster was granted $750 bail. Hemsley and Young were also granted bail of $750. Young however wasn’t free to go home because of an unpaid fine of $200.
And if you are wondering why they were released on bail, it is because the new gun laws will send you to jail without bail for possessing a gun – but not for firing it.
