A local man accused of bringing a b.b. gun to Bakersfield College and threatening to kill two students pleaded not guilty in court Thursday. But now a witness who fingered him out, claims she got the wrong guy.
Jermaine Turner was arrested Tuesday after witnesses at B.C. told police he threatened to kill them and showed them a weapon that turned out to be a b.b. Gun. Turner was arraigned Thrusday on charges of making a terrorist threat, participating in a street gang and brandishing a firearm replica. Police rushed to the school and after talking to witnesses, say they found a b.b. gun in Turner's locker. Lakeisha Nellums was a witness, and thinks the incident is being blown out of proportion. "There was a lot of misunderstandings, just it wasn't meant to go this far."
Thursday, Turner pleaded not guilty in court. "My daughter was allegedly said that he, um, threatened her and speaking to my daughter and being there, he didn't verbally threaten her," said Nellums.
"He was framed from day one," said Turner's aunt Verna Hunt. This is Turner's aunt, she's said from the beginning that police have the wrong guy. "He didn't threaten anyone. If anyone that got harassed, was him," said Hunt. "I saw something that looked like a gun, so I reported it because I was scared. It was a lot of teenagers going, like gang, like young gang members," said Nellums.
An official at the district attorney's office who says he can't talk about this specific case, but that witnesses do sometimes recant their statements. He says, just because that happens, it doesn't necessarily mean charges will be dropped. "From what I know of the young man he's a nice young man. So, I just think this was blown way out of proportion, I think the bail is set way, the time he is looking at," said Nellums. The official with the DA's office says someone won't be arrested or charged unless they believe those charges can be proven in court.
Turner has no criminal history as an adult.
