Mugshot of Shai Hart. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A woman who told officers that her child’s father had assaulted her was herself arrested on domestic violence charges after the initial police investigation.
Officers arrived at a residence in Estate Bellevue on Sunday morning, responding to reports of an assault. They met with Shai Hart who told them that she was coming out of the shower with her infant son when she and her child’s father, who lives in the residence with her, got into a verbal altercation.
She said that she put the baby down on the bed and subsequently “got into a tussle” with her partner over jewelry he reportedly removed from her bag and put into his pocket. During the scuffle, Hart told officers that she kicked her child’s father, he pushed her, and then she grabbed his firearm which was on the table.
For his part, the man involved told police that he did take jewelry that he had purchased from Ms. Hart’s bag. He claims that she began to attack him when she saw him take the valuables. She also snatched up his chain from the dressing table, he said, and he grabbed it back, holding her hands with his to restrain her. That led the enraged woman to start hitting him in the head, the man said, and he eventually rushed towards Ms. Hart and again snatched his chain away from her possession.
He told police that his child’s mother began “acting crazy,” according to documents presented in court, and took his licensed firearm from where it was on the dressing table. The man told police that she then pointed the weapon at him, his mother, and his three-year old daughter who were all in the room. He was somehow able to get the firearm away from the angry woman and secure it in his vehicle before police arrived. Officers learned that the Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun was loaded with a 10-round magazine, however there was no cartridge in the chamber at the time.
Officers noted the man’s swollen cheek and injuries to his arms, hands, and the back of his right elbow. He however declined medical attention.
Police interviewed the man’s mother who corroborated his story. Officers learned that contention and strife was a feature of the couple’s relationship. Police then arrested Ms. Hart and charged her with third-degree assault as a crime of domestic violence.
She appeared in court on Monday for her advice of rights hearing.
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