Trial in Farmington robbery involving former shooting victim set for November

Okiemute Omatie (Police photo)

DOVER, N.H. - The Dover man shot in the chest in a brazen daylight attack by another man on Lafayette Street in Rochester in 2014 is slated for a November trial in a Farmington robbery that occurred in December.

Okiemute Omatie, 21, who currently resides at the Strafford County Jail, formerly of Fifth Street, Dover, was indicted on one count of robbery in the Dec. 29 attack for allegedly pushing his male victim to the ground in the course of stealing his money, cigarettes and clothing, while the victim reasonably suspected Omatie had a deadly weapon, court records state.

Omatie faces up to 15 years in state prison if convicted.

Meanwhile, the man who shot Omatie that July day, Kerry Joseph, of New York Street, Dover, agreed to a plea deal late last year on a first degree assault charge in connection with the Lafayette Street shooting and is currently serving a five to 10 year sentence.

Joseph was facing a second trial in the Omatie shooting after an attempted murder trial resulted in a hung jury last August when he agreed to the plea deal in late November.

The infamous daytime shooting occurred on July 29, 2014, when Omatie is said to have challenged Joseph to a fistfight whereupon he drew a handgun and shot Omatie after he became trapped between two Lafayette Street apartment buildings and was unable to escape, according to a police affidavit.

Omatie fell to the stoop at 42 Lafayette St., a bullet in his chest, where he was found by emergency personnel.

He was Medflighted to Maine Medical Center with what were described as life-threatening injuries from which he recovered.

Joseph, known to many as "Bones," according to a police affidavit, was charged with felony first-degree assault after being tracked down by Fugitive Task Force agents in Pawtucket, R.I., on Aug. 6, 2014.

The exact nature of the dispute between Omatie and Joseph is unknown, but Omatie told police he had only met Joseph a few times and had somehow offended him about two months before the shooting, which, according to the affidavit, "resulted in 'Bones' stabbing him in the stomach while they were in Dover."

Omatie told police he did not report the stabbing, but soon after met up with Joseph and, seeing he was unarmed, challenged him to a fistfight, which Joseph refused, the affidavit states.

On the day of the Lafayette Street shooting Omatie took the bus to Rochester and was walking up Lafayette Street when he saw Joseph on the porch of a home. According to the affidavit, Omatie said he continued walking up Lafayette Street, but that Joseph came off the porch and began to follow him.

Omatie told police that he turned around and challenged Joseph to a fistfight and that Joseph then "flashed" a gun at him so he began to run and was later shot. Police say no bullet casing was ever recovered.

The trial is set for Nov. 14.