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Latest mugshot of Shamar Lewis. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS- A twenty-three year old man faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted of false imprisonment.
In addition to that offense, Shamar Lewis is also charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm during a violent crime which carries possible imprisonment of between 10 to 20 years depending on the circumstances. Lewis is also facing time for third-degree assault and disturbance of the peace, both categorized as crimes of domestic violence.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, Lewis’ ex-girlfriend alleges that he assaulted her on Wednesday. When officers made contact with the woman she complained of pain to her face and small scratches to her shoulder resulting from the incident. In her statement, she said that she had just been dropped off by a friend and was sitting near the front gate of her apartment when she observed a dark vehicle driving into the parking lot. She stated that a man dressed in black exited the vehicle and walked towards her apartment. According to the woman, the man’s eyes remained visible despite a black ski mask, and she was able to recognize him as her ex-boyfriend.
As per the fact sheet, the victim stated that Lewis approached her, grabbed her by the hair and told her “get in the [expletive] car!” While she was being pushed towards the car she observed a firearm bulging from Lewis’ sweater. According to her claims, Lewis pushed her into the backseat of the vehicle and got into the front passenger seat. She reportedly tried to open the door and scream but Lewis told her “I’m going to [expletive] air you out!”
The victim alleges that he then got out of the vehicle, put the child lock on and got back inside. She claimed that one of Lewis’ relatives was in the driver’s seat and he drove away when she started to scream. Lewis is alleged to have yelled at his relative “take her to where I told you to take her!” He then instructed the victim to call the person who had dropped her off to verify that she was at work. She called her friend and asked “didn’t you just drop me home?” Lewis then began arguing with her telling her “you set me up!” She begged him to allow her to call another friend to prove that she was at work earlier, and when the friend verified that information, Lewis threw her phone into the front passenger side of the vehicle.
The relative then turned the vehicle around and drove back to the woman’s apartment. She claimed that Lewis told her that if his question was not answered he would have killed her and if she was not at home his intention was to shoot up her mother’s apartment. When they arrived at the apartment, he told her “get the [expletive] out of the car” and later reached around and struck her on the right side of her face with the firearm. He subsequently let her out and she went inside and called for police assistance.
Lewis was represented by Attorney Clive Rivers during his advisement hearing on Friday. Rivers indicated that the defendant’s father, brother and employer were all present in support of him. While Assistant V.I. Attorney General requested bail be set at $15,000 Rivers asked that Lewis be allowed to post 10 percent. He expressed that Lewis is employed as a boat mechanic and needs to return to work as his employer’s business has begun to pick up. Scales noted that in addition to working on a boat, the accused was born in Jamaica, which raises questions about the potential risk of flight. Scales also affirmed that the defendant is a danger to the victim.
As the hearing continued, Lewis’ employer described him to the court as a valuable and trusted employee who he has known for 6 months. When asked by attorney Rivers if Lewis had ever exhibited any violent tendencies, the employer responded that his nickname was ‘Smiley Shamar’. According to the employer, Lewis was ‘a wonderful young man’ and was not known to show any signs of aggression or violence. However, attorney Scales later told the court that Lewis was arrested for assault in 2018 and has pending charges against him for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Scales also revealed that Lewis once allegedly rode his motorcycle in the direction of two officers during their attempts to arrest him.
Judge Paula Norkaitis eventually set bail in the amount of $25,000 with an allowance for the posting of 10 percent. She noted that while there was concern for the victim’s safety, the court can fashion conditions to protect her. This includes a strict no-contact order and a requirement that Lewis remain at least 100 feet away from her at all times. Norkaitis further noted that the court is currently reviewing a request for a temporary restraining order recently submitted by the victim. Lewis has been ordered to submit his passport and is prohibited from possessing any firearms while this matter is pending. As part of the bail conditions for his previous criminal matter, Lewis was placed on a 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew from Monday to Friday. Norkaitis indicated that this shall also apply to the current matter and will be accompanied by 24-hour house arrest on weekends.
