Survival story
Attorney decries cops’ decision to lay shooting charges against Jaii Frais despite podcaster’s claim he was protecting his life
Published:Thursday | April 23, 2026 | 10:56 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
Defence attorney Isat Buchanan has raised concerns about what he describes as a troubling signal being sent by law enforcement following charges laid against popular podcaster Jhaedee Richards, more popularly known as Jaii Frais, in connection with Sunday’s shooting incident at a carnival afterparty in St Andrew.
Buchanan said the decision to charge his client risks discouraging Jamaicans from defending themselves in life-threatening situations.
“ …the message being sent to the public is that your options when it comes to protecting your life is to give your life so your family can bury you rather than protect yourself in a high-crime society,” Buchanan said.
His client, Richards, was on Friday charged with wounding with intent, shooting with intent, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Richards has been in police custody since Sunday following a shooting incident at the ‘Big Wall’ party held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. The incident reportedly left three persons nursing gunshot wounds, including Richards.
According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force, a dispute among patrons escalated into a gunfight about 9:30 p.m., during which two firearms were seized.
A VICTIM OF VIOLENCE
Buchanan, however, insisted that his client is a victim of violence who acted in circumstances that warrant careful legal scrutiny.
“He cannot feel good. He’s a victim. He was shot, he was boxed in the face and his face cut,” the attorney said, adding that the young man is “very sad” about the turn of events.
He further questioned what he sees as an inconsistency in how self-defence is treated, drawing comparisons with police accounts of fatal encounters.
“This is the same society that has to accept that police officers say they are engaging men, they are not taking any chances, and they employ what they say is anticipatory self-defence, and then they give the same press release to say that men would have either had a shootout or had a weapon and they were killed extrajudicially,” Buchanan expressed.
Buchanan, however, maintained that Richards is innocent and signalled confidence in the court process.
“The law coming from the Privy Council says that the circumstances of this case say that he is innocent. That is the position we are taking.
“And I am extremely happy that the matter is now going before a competent jurisdiction,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, Parish Judge Alicia McIntosh ordered that Richards be either charged or released by 6 p.m. following a habeas corpus application by his legal team in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court. Attorney Dondre Buchanan is also representing Richards
Richards was not present in court, and his attorney advised that he was taken for treatment in line with a previous order from the court.
Also in custody in connection with the incident is music producer Jahvel Morrison, also known as ‘Jahvy Ambassador’. His attorneys similarly secured an order for him to be charged or released by the same deadline. Up to news time, Morrison remained in a question-and-answer session with investigators and his attorneys, Sayeed Bernard and Richard Lync, who also dealt with the habeas corpus application in court.
King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie is also representing Morrison.
Police say the probe into the incident is ongoing, with investigators from the Half-Way Tree Criminal Investigation Branch leading the case.
A date for Richards’ court appearance is to be announced.