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On Tuesday twenty three year old Akeem Lord was charged with aggravated assault and firearm and ammunition offences. Akeem Lord is the young man who police shot in his left leg on Friday afternoon after he ran away.

In court, Akeem lord pleaded not guilty to the charges. Although the court could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offence, Akeem Lord’s attorney Ellis Arnold told Magistrate Edd Usher that he is prepared to ask the Director of Public Prosecutions for a waiver similar to the one that George Betson got. The attorney also showed the Magistrate a letter in which his client claimed that he was beaten by police.

But despite the appeal Magistrate Edd Usher declared that Akeem Lord’s case was different from the George Betson case and that lord was only twenty years old while Betson was sixty six years old. Magistrate Usher did express some concern that Akeem Lord claims he was going to sixth form. Still Akeem Lord was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until September twenty third.

Belize City Police report that Akeem Lord was one of three persons who were in a black car with tinted glass that they saw moving around suspiciously in the vicinity of Farm Center on North Front Street. Police say when they intercepted the vehicle Akeem Lord exited the vehicle with a gun in his hand which he pointed at Police Constable Harold Grinage. According to PC Grinage, Lord fired several shots at him and he had no choice but to return fire and that is when Akeem Lord was hit.

Police found a nine milimeter Taurus brand pistol with eight rounds of ammunition that Lord had allegedly discarded. The police also reported that they found eleven point four grams of cannabis in the car. The other two occupants of the vehicle have been identified as Anthony Mejia and Ernest Young both have been charged with possession of a controlled drug. Mejia pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined two hundred and fifty dollars. He has until September twenty fourth to pay.