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Charges stayed in Riverside Meadows shooting

Sep 5, 2018 | 12:01 PM

There has been a stay of proceedings in the case for a man charged in a shooting incident earlier this year in Riverside Meadows.

Kareem Cummings, 25, was facing several firearms-related counts including wound with intent with a firearm, possession of a restricted firearm, careless use of a firearm, possessing a handgun for a dangerous purpose and carrying a concealed weapon, along with four counts of mischief under $5,000 and one count of fail to comply with conditions.

The charges stemmed from an incident on the night of January 18, 2018 at an apartment building at 59 Street and 55 Avenue. Several apartment units, nearby residences and vehicles were damaged but no innocent bystanders were injured, according to RCMP.

Trial got underway last Thursday in Red Deer provincial court. The Crown requested the stay of proceedings Wednesday morning after a key piece of evidence against Cummings — footage collected from security cameras at a nearby gas station which reportedly showed the shooting incident taking place — was ruled inadmissible.

In a voir dire hearing to determine the admissibility of the video, defence lawyer Maurice Collard challenged its authenticity due to a “break in the chain of events” from the time RCMP first viewed the footage to when they downloaded a copy of it onto a USB thumb drive. Judge Jim Hunter agreed with Collard’s argument and ruled the evidence inadmissible.

In light of the decision and the fact there were no eyewitnesses who could prove Cummings fired gunshots, Crown prosecutor Bruce Ritter asked for a stay of proceedings.

Cummings remains in custody as he faces other charges relating to a drug trafficking bust in Red Deer, Calgary and Lake Louise. His next court appearance on those counts is scheduled for September 20.