Police Officer Sentenced to One Year for Firing 12 Shots at Occupied Vehicle

Police Officer Karim Warner has been sentenced to one year in prison after being found guilty of discharging his firearm in a public place.

The maximum sentence for the offense is two years.

Warner was sentenced today by Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel.

The charges stem from a December 3, 2022 incident near Emerald Cove Resort in Willikies, where Warner fired 12 rounds at a white Toyota Mark X with two people inside.

The confrontation reportedly erupted when Warner attempted to reclaim a leased vehicle, but the male occupant refused to surrender it.

Warner initially faced charges for discharging a firearm in a public place and assaulting both vehicle occupants. He maintained his innocence, entering not guilty pleas across the board.

The prosecution’s case underwent changes during the proceedings. They dropped the assault charges entirely. The situation became more complicated when the male complainant failed to appear for trial and formally withdrew from the case, stating he no longer wished to participate in the proceedings.

Despite these setbacks, Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel pressed forward with the remaining firearms charge.

Following the prosecution’s presentation, defense attorney Andrew O’Kola mounted a no-case submission, contending that prosecutors had failed to meet the evidentiary threshold required to sustain the charges. O’Kola requested the case be dismissed outright.

Magistrate Emanuel rejected the no-case submission and ruled the trial would proceed. After considering all evidence presented, she delivered the guilty verdict and imposed the one-year sentence.