Seafood worker charged in stabbing near Nantucket ferry docks says video backs self-defense in wealthy enclave
The seafood delivery worker accused of stabbing a man near Nantucket’s busy ferry docks claims police video shows he acted in self-defense after being attacked from behind in the heart of the ritzy island’s downtown, his attorney told Fox News Digital.
Kemar Downer, 40, a Sayle’s Seafood employee, was arraigned Wednesday morning in Nantucket District Court on two charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
"The video corroborates Kemar’s statements," his attorney, Rob Moriarty, told Fox News Digital , describing the footage as showing "complete and total self-defense."
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"The video was amazing for them," Moriarty said of the defense.
Moriarty said the altercation was "over a girl," The Inquirer and Mirror reported.
Moriarty said the video shows the alleged victim, a Reis Trucking employee whom he described as larger than Downer, coming up behind his client and punching him several times in the back of the head.
"He surprised him, punches him like three times in the back of the head," Moriarty said. "Kind of knocks him into something. I can’t tell exactly what it was. He was leaning over at the time."
The attorney said the man then kicked Downer multiple times before the knife came out.
"And then as he’s kicking him, that’s when I think the knife comes out," Moriarty said.
The stabbing erupted Tuesday morning on South Beach Street, a downtown stretch near the Steamship Authority ferry terminal, where summer visitors pour onto Nantucket with beach bags and luggage before fanning out toward the island’s cobblestoned streets.
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Nantucket police previously said officers responded at 10:23 a.m. to South Beach Street between Broad Street and Oak Street for a reported stabbing. The injured person was treated at the scene and rushed to Nantucket Cottage Hospital.
Downer was released on $2,500 bail and was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim, have no contact with him, wear a GPS tracking device and remain at least 25 yards from the alleged victim’s home, according to The Inquirer and Mirror.
Moriarty also argued in court that Downer should not have been held overnight because there was a chance he could have been arraigned Tuesday, the outlet reported.
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"Nantucket police essentially decided they were not going to abide by the Constitution, because they think they’re above it," Moriarty said, according to The Inquirer and Mirror.
According to a police report cited by the outlet, Downer told investigators he was delivering juice to The Juice Bar, a popular ice cream shop on the island, when the Reis Trucking employee began punching him in the back of the head.
Downer allegedly told police he did not know the man, though they were from the same parish in Jamaica. He said he turned around, was kicked and then pulled a pocketknife from his waistband, swinging it toward the alleged victim two or three times, according to the report cited by the outlet.
A witness also told police that Downer went into The Juice Bar looking for another knife in case the alleged victim returned, and grabbed a 10- to 12-inch kitchen knife before employees took it away, The Inquirer and Mirror reported.
The alleged victim suffered what sources believe was a punctured lung and had a 2.5-inch open laceration on his left arm that was likely to require surgery and leave significant scarring, according to the outlet.
The wounded man ran toward "The Strip" on Broad Street, an area packed with casual restaurants and takeout spots, before returning toward his truck near the end of South Beach Street, where bystanders helped him, the report said.
Downer was arrested nearby on South Beach Street by Nantucket police Sgt. Travis Ray after being found sitting in a chair on the sidewalk, The Inquirer and Mirror reported.
The daytime violence rattled Nantucket as the wealthy coastal enclave enters peak summer season, when its year-round population swells with vacationers, day-trippers, seasonal workers and affluent homeowners.