A seafood delivery driver has been charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury following a daytime stabbing on Nantucket that left a man with critical wounds. Kemar K. Downer, 39, an employee at Sayle's Seafood, pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment in Nantucket District Court.
Prosecutors had sought $10,000 bail and GPS monitoring, but Judge James Sullivan released Downer on $2,500 bail. The judge also imposed GPS monitoring and ordered Downer to have no contact with the alleged victim and to stay away from the man's home.
The incident occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on South Beach Street, a usually tranquil area in downtown Nantucket. Police found the injured man bleeding from stab wounds to his chest and forearm. He was airlifted to a mainland hospital and is expected to require multiple surgeries.
Downer's attorney, Rob Moriarty, told the court that his client acted in self-defense. According to the defense, the alleged victim attacked Downer from behind without provocation, in an altercation that reportedly involved a dispute over a woman.
"Mr. Downer defended himself," Moriarty stated, adding that his client, who is of smaller stature, was surprised and attacked by a larger individual. Moriarty claims surveillance footage supports Downer's account of being attacked first.
Downer told investigators he was unloading deliveries when he was punched in the back of the head and then kicked in the chest. He stated he then pulled a pocketknife from his pocket and swung it at the alleged victim.
Prosecutors allege that after the stabbing, Downer entered The Juice Bar, a nearby establishment, searching for another knife. A witness, however, reported that Downer grabbed a chef's knife before another employee intervened. Downer remained at the scene until police arrived and arrested him.
Downer, a Jamaican-born resident who has worked on Nantucket for eight years, has no prior criminal record, according to his attorney. The incident has reportedly stunned residents of the island, where serious violent crime is statistically rare.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 30. Moriarty has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, to which prosecutors have requested additional time to respond.