The cameraman who was involved in the now-viral incident with dancehall entertainer Elephant Man during Dream Weekend has retained legal representation, with his attorneys confirming that they are considering all legal options available.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the law firm Knight, Junor & Samuels, acting on behalf of professional videographer Dario A. Shields, outlined the client’s account of what allegedly took place during Elephant Man’s performance on August 1.
According to the attorneys, Shields had been contracted by Dream Entertainment Limited to provide videography services when he was allegedly dragged by Elephant Man while carrying out his duties in front of thousands of patrons, members of the media and other industry professionals.
The attorneys further claimed that, while dragging the videographer, Elephant Man made derogatory and degrading remarks, referring to the comments that were heard during the now-viral video.
Shields, through his attorneys, described both the physical encounter and the accompanying remarks as “wholly unacceptable,” adding that the incident caused him considerable embarrassment and emotional distress while he was simply performing the job he had been hired to do.
The legal team also stated that the professional camera equipment being used during the performance, a Sony A7 III camera fitted with a Tamron 17–70mm f/2.8 lens, was damaged during the incident. They said the nature and extent of the alleged damage are currently being assessed.
According to the statement, Shields considers Elephant Man’s actions to have been “distasteful, entirely uncalled for, and woefully unprofessional,” adding that no individual, regardless of public profile or status, is above the law.
The attorneys also addressed comments previously made by Elephant Man, who later released a video saying, “Big up yuhself, no disrespect, we just a entertain the people.” While the dancehall star appeared to suggest that no offence was intended, the law firm stated that no formal apology had been received by its client as of the date of the press release.
The attorneys are now calling on Elephant Man, whose real name is O’Neil Bryan, to issue what they described as a full, public and unequivocal apology for both his conduct and the remarks directed at their client.
“Such an apology would acknowledge the indignity suffered by our client and reaffirm the respect that ought to be afforded to professionals working within Jamaica’s entertainment industry,” the statement read.
However, the attorneys made it clear that an apology alone may not bring the matter to a close.
“Notwithstanding the issuance of an apology, our client has instructed us to consider and pursue all legal remedies available to him,” the statement concluded.
The latest development comes days after Elephant Man addressed another viral clip from the same Dream Weekend performance involving a member of his stage team known as “Fyah.” The dancehall veteran said that incident had been pre-planned as part of the show’s entertainment and insisted that no one was injured.
As of publication, Elephant Man has not publicly responded to the legal statement issued on behalf of the cameraman.
