Nantucket Confrontation Leads to Stabbing Accusation
A daytime altercation on Nantucket’s main street has resulted in a serious assault charge against a seafood delivery worker. Kemar K. Downer, 39, a Jamaican-born employee at Sayle’s Seafood, faces two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. The incident occurred Tuesday morning, leaving one man with severe stab wounds requiring multiple surgeries.
Prosecutors allege the confrontation stemmed from a dispute over a woman. Downer pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Wednesday in Nantucket District Court. Despite prosecutors seeking $10,000 bail and GPS monitoring, Judge James Sullivan released Downer on $2,500 bail. The judge did, however, impose GPS monitoring, order Downer to have no contact with the alleged victim, and prohibit him from approaching the man’s residence.
Incident Details Emerge
The Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office filed charges after police discovered a man bleeding on the sidewalk with stab wounds to his chest and forearm. The confrontation took place on South Beach Street shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
This violent incident has sent ripples through the Nantucket community, where serious violent crime is exceptionally rare. Analysis of crime statistics indicates that violent crime on the island is significantly lower than the national average. Records show the previous reported stabbing on Nantucket occurred in July 2019, with another incident in June 2012 preceding it.
Accounts of the Altercation
According to the police report, the injured man sustained an approximately 2.5-inch laceration to his left forearm and a 1.5-inch wound to his upper left chest or rib area. He was subsequently airlifted to a mainland hospital for specialized treatment, with investigators confirming the need for multiple surgeries.
Upon arrival, officers found the injured man on the ground. A passerby directed them to Downer, who was reportedly sitting nearby awaiting police. The altercation, which occurred in the heart of the island’s busy downtown area, prompted a significant police and emergency response, with South Beach Street being cordoned off.
Witnesses reportedly informed investigators that the confrontation involved Downer, who was making deliveries in a Sayle’s Seafood truck, and the driver of a Myles Reis garbage truck. The injured man later told officers he initiated the confrontation by shouting a Jamaican profanity at Downer before the situation escalated. He claims he saw Downer produce a three-inch pocketknife from his waistband and only realized he had been stabbed after the fight.
Downer’s Defense
Downer presented a different narrative to detectives. He stated that he and the alleged victim were from the same parish in Jamaica and that he had heard the man had issues with him. Downer reported that he was unloading deliveries when he was suddenly punched in the back of the head. He then turned to see his assailant and was subsequently kicked in the chest. Downer claims he then withdrew a pocketknife from his pocket and swung it toward the alleged victim two to three times.
Downer’s attorney, Rob Moriarty, characterized the events as a clear case of self-defense. Moriarty emphasized Downer’s lack of a prior criminal record and stated that his client defended himself against a larger individual who attacked him without warning. The attorney asserted that surveillance footage supports Downer’s account, showing his client was the initial target of the assault.
Moriarty also criticized the police for holding Downer in custody overnight without an immediate arraignment, calling the delay “unconscionable.”
Further Allegations and Legal Proceedings
Investigators also allege that Downer entered The Juice Bar post-stabbing, reportedly in search of another knife. Downer told officers he was looking for a weapon in case the alleged victim returned. However, a witness reportedly informed police that Downer grabbed a chef’s knife, between 10 and 12 inches long, before another employee intervened and disarmed him.
Downer remained at the scene until his arrest. Moriarty has filed a motion seeking dismissal of the charges. Prosecutors have requested additional time to respond, and a pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 30.
