An accused man has told the Supreme Court he had no knowledge of a firearm allegedly found at a house where he had gone to assist a friend planning to surrender to police.
In his trial before the No. 4 Supreme Court, D’Nairo Greaves testified that he was helping a friend in surrendering to the police when officers arrived, handcuffed him, and questioned him about a firearm.
Greaves, of Third Avenue, New Orleans, is accused that on July 20, 2022, he had in his possession a ‘19 Gen 4’ 9mm Luger calibre pistol without a valid licence and 14 rounds of ammunition without a valid permit.
Giving an unsworn statement after the State closed its case, Greaves said that on the day of the incident, a friend, who was wanted by police, called and asked to be taken to an attorney as he planned to turn himself in. The accused said he agreed and was sent the directions to the man’s location via WhatsApp.
He said: “I arrived there and called him and he told me to come around to the side of the house which was like a workshop because he did not want anybody to see me coming there. When I got there it was kinda late and he said that he could not go to the lawyer’s office at this time. He ask me to take him for something to eat and I said okay again and he said he going and get ready and would take a few minutes to get himself together.”
Greaves testified that while waiting in the workshop, he was jumped by “something like a loud explosion” and then heard feet hitting the ground.
“I look ‘round and saw two masked men with guns. They shouted: ‘Police! Get down on the ground’ and one of them fired his gun…At this time another officer came and put a shotgun to my head while I was on the ground and another officer put handcuffs on me,” he said, adding that his friend and another man who had been entering the workshop were placed next to him.
Greaves recalled that afterwards they were taken into the house, shown a gun and asked about it.
“I told him ‘I know nothing about that gun. I am not a police officer or soldier or nothing like that’,” he stated.
“I honestly have no idea, knowledge or anything about that gun. I was never by no window with no gun and I could swear to God and in front of all these people here that I am innocent and had nothing to do with that gun.”
Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell and the nine-member jury will hear closing arguments on Friday from State Counsel Paul Prescod and defence attorney Shadia Simpson.
(JB)
