Jason Earle was supposed to have his bail hearing today, but when he appeared in provincial court in St. John’s, lawyers asked the judge to set the hearing over until Wednesday to allow them time to review the case.
Judge Mike Madden agreed.
Earle was taken back into custody until Wednesday.
He’s facing charges of unauthorized possession of a firearm; careless use of a firearm; unlawfully possessing a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearm or unloaded with access to ammunition; uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; assaulting a peace officer; and unlawfully discharging a firearm while being reckless as to the life and safety of another person.
The 23-year-old was arrested at around 2:30 p.m. Saturday after what police and neighbours said was a 1 1/2-hour armed standoff on Barachois Street, where Earle lives.
A neighbour had called the RNC to report a man with a firearm around 1 p.m., and police said when they arrived, Earle fired several shots.
The RNC Tactics and Rescue Unit and several negotiators were deployed. Police officers secured the area, blocking off streets. Several of them hid behind buildings and patrol vehicles with assault weapons and handguns drawn before they arrested him.
The RNC says officers didn't fire any shots and nobody was injured.
Following Earle’s court appearance Monday, Earle’s girlfriend Krissy Watson, told The Telegram that hours before Saturday’s armed standoff, Earle went to the Waterford Hospital for help.
She said Earle, who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was turned away after waiting for two hours at the hospital. The armed standoff began a couple of hours after he left.
Watson was again in provincial court this morning for Earle’s court appearance, along with his father, William Earle.
Jason Earle was deemed mentally fit to stand trial following a psychiatric assessment.
They told news media Jason had been off his medication for three weeks prior to the incident.
William Earle said he was there with Jason during the standoff. He said he disarmed his son after shots had been fired in the house — not at police, he insists — and after Jason had pointed the firearm in his own mouth. William said he then threw the gun in the street.
He said a police officer punched Jason in the face with a lot of force during the arrest. William Earle also said the officer told him that Jason had hit him first, but later apologized.
It’s not the first time Jason Earle has been in trouble with the law.
In 2011, at the age of 18, Earle was given a three-month prison sentence for escaping from custody. He was at large for more than a week.
While Earle served that sentence, his father spoke with The Telegram about how worried he was about his son and said he needed help.
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