Darien Banks, 30, along with Steve Zelaya, 33, appeared in the #1 Court of Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie this morning, where they were slapped with two counts each of attempted murder in connection with a shooting incident that occurred last Thursday, October 23, around 11:30 a.m. on Central American Boulevard.
Banks told the Chief Magistrate that he works as a construction supervisor, while Zelaya said that he is a laborer employed at Bowen and Bowen. Both men gave their address as #4100 Oleander Street.
The two are charged with attempting to murder Alex Myers and Richard Russell, at whom they allegedly fired on that Thursday. According to police, Russell and Myers were riding their bicycles on Central American Boulevard when they saw a green Saturn car coming out of Banak Street and onto Central American Boulevard.
The men told police that they dropped their bicycles and fled when Banks and Zelaya began shooting at them.
A food vendor who had just set up her stand not too far away from the tire shop on the Boulevard told Amandala last Thursday, after the shooting had taken place, that she flung herself to the ground when someone shouted out “gunshots.”
“I then pulled down my assistant,” said the elderly woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Before the two men were arraigned, Magistrate Gabb-McKenzie told them that they did not have to make a plea, because the matter for which they are before the court is an indictable one.
“In due course,” the Chief Magistrate went on, “a preliminary hearing will take place, and if there is sufficient evidence against you, then the matter will be forwarded to the Supreme Court for a trial.”
The two were remanded until November 27, when they are scheduled to return to court.
As he was being led back to the court’s holding cell area, Banks said: “I nuh know why when somebody dead from backa Martins, dem lone come fu we.”
Notwithstanding his outburst, Darien Banks has had a number of run-ins with the law. In April of this year, when police conducted their Cycle Breaker operations, Banks was caught in the police’s net after they allegedly found bullets at his yard.
Then in September of this year, Banks was charged in the Magistrate’s Court with attempted theft, in a case involving a container that was in the Customs compound and which contained millions of dollars of the illegal drug, ephedrine, in tablets. He is scheduled to return to court two days from now, on October 29, to continue that case.
In September 2005, Banks walked away from a prohibited firearm charge because a police witness failed to show up in court to testify against him.
Banks was also charged with three others in the shooting of a nightclub bouncer in December of 2007. Also charged in that incident was Dillon Bennett, who was shot and killed last week at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Mahogany Street. Bennett will be laid to rest tomorrow after funeral services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The year before, in 2006, murder charges were withdrawn against Banks and three others in connection with the shooting death of Sherwin Requeña. Also released from that charge of murder was Akeem Logan Gotoy, who now lies in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, after he was shot last Wednesday in the same incident that claimed the life of his friend, Dillon Bennett.
(NOTE: Banks said in court that his name is spelt Darien, and not Darren.)