Lawyer Never Pointed Gun At 'Aggressive' Client, Law Firm Says

A law office in Huntington says their lawyer who is accused of pointing a gun at a client on Monday behaved in a lawful way and believes all charges will be dismissed.

According to The Law Offices of Christopher J. Cassar, P.C., Pierre Bazile, Esq., an associate attorney at the firm, located at 13 East Carver St., was appointed to represent Rashamel Palmer, who has a prior history with the law.

On Monday, Bazile was discussing the case when Palmer demanded that he take an action that was impossible in the court of law, the law office says. Palmer was allegedly behaving in an aggressive and threatening manner.

Bazile, a 46-year-old Huntington Statin resident who is a retired police officer with a valid pistol permit, declined to continue to represent Palmer and asked him and his girlfriend to leave the building, but they refused and began behaving in a "frightening and aggressive manner," according to the law office.

"When Mr. Palmer raised his hands in an aggressive posture, Mr. Bazile removed his licensed pistol and placed it to his side of his leg with the pistol pointed down at the floor, and finger off the trigger, and again directed the individuals to remove themselves," according to the law office.

Palmer and his girlfriend then left the office.

The law office says Palmer also became aggressive and agitated during a Jan. 8 court proceeding and was "so frightening that the prosecutor asked Mr. Bazile to position himself between Mr. Palmer and herself as a protective measure."

The Law Offices of Christopher J. Cassar says Bazile did not point his pistol at anyone and two witnesses can attest to this.

Bazile was charged with second-degree menacing. A 9mm handgun was recovered at the scene. No injuries were reported from the incident.

The office says they are confident the matter will be dismissed.

Palmer and his girlfriend face no charges involving this incident at this time.

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