By Latrishka Thomas
A jury yesterday returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty for George Chiddick who was on trial for shooting a police officer in 2019.
The incident was said to have occurred when Chiddick and some other men were breaking into a woman’s home at Creekside.
At the time of the break-in and theft, to which Chiddick pleaded guilty, the woman was at work and received a call informing her that several individuals were on her property.
Sergeant Jeffrey Benjamin, her neighbour who was at home, saw the four strangers in the yard at around 11.45am and went to investigate.
Upon coming face to face with the intruders, one of them fired two shots at him and the officer returned fire.
However, the suspects scaled a fence and escaped into nearby bushes.
When the woman returned to her property, she found it ransacked and a quantity of gold and silver jewellery, including bracelets and earrings valued at $2,700, missing.
Investigators discovered the point of forced entry and slippers they believe belonged to one of the suspects, along with other bits of evidence.
However, Chiddick maintained that he did not shoot the officer.
He was therefore placed on trial before a jury and, after a few days of testimonies, closing arguments from attorney Wendel Robinson and the prosecution, the jury found him not guilty before Justice Ann-Marie Smith.