Mugshot of Ja' Haile Clendinen. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — An 18-year-old man who was released on bail Friday after allegedly spitting on an officer, was rearrested later the same day for discharging a firearm on March 31, according to court documents and the V.I. Police Department.
The V.I.P.D. reported Friday night that the suspect, Ja' Haile Clendinen was arrested Friday at about 2:05 p.m. for illegally discharging a machine gun on March 31 in the area of Altona and Welgunst. He was charged with reckless endangerment, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and illegally discharging a firearm.
Unable to make bail of $150,000, he was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advisement hearing.
However, on Friday morning Clendenin had appeared in court to face charges after he was accused of spitting on a police officer on Monday after being arrested for violating a court-imposed curfew.
According to his probable cause fact sheet, Clendenin was arrested on Monday afternoon and charged with violating a court order, aggravated assault and battery and throwing bodily fluid at a law enforcement officer.
Police officers reportedly encountered Clendenin on the People Ferry coming from St. John to St. Thomas around 6:23 pm. One Officer notified his colleagues that Clendenin was apparently violating a curfew order in a previous criminal matter. He was subsequently placed under arrest and escorted off the ferry onto the Marine Terminal. Officers later arrived on the car barge to transport Clendenin to the Alexander Farrelly Justice Complex to be processed and booked.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, during his arrest, some of Clendenin’s friends who had traveled to St. John to go to the beach began to agitate the officers on the scene.
One officer approached these individuals to keep them away from the other officers, while another officer held onto Clendenin by the back of his arm. The officer said that Clendenin suddenly started pulling away from him and then faced him while hurling slurs and profanities at him. Clendenin then allegedly turned his body towards the officer and bumped the officer’s chest with his own chest. The fact sheet states that Clendinen also spat on the left side of the officer’s face as he continued to insult and swear at him. The officer noted that he felt the spit sprinkle all over the left side of his face and that Clendinen's actions were captured on his body cam footage.
The officer then firmly grabbed Clendenin and placed him on a bench located directly behind him. He directed him to sit down and remain calm but Clendinen stated that he could not sit comfortably as his hands were in cuffs. Police then allowed him to stand, but they said Clendinen then started threatening the officers, ordering his friends to follow them home and "deal with them." He was eventually transported to the Richard Callwood Command where he was officially booked and processed.
At his advisement hearing on Friday, Clendinen’s bail was set at $10,000 with an allowance for his release on the posting of 10 percent. He has once again been placed on a court-ordered curfew. Clendinen was expected to remain at home from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, and remain on strict house arrest on weekends. However he was arrested later Friday, with bail set at $150,000 for several gun-related charges.
