One person is reported dead, and two others are said to be under critical condition after officers of the Liberia National Police reportedly shot at protesters in Kingsville, District one, Montserrado County.
The protesters on early Monday morning blocked the roads linking Montserrado and Bong Counties, demanding justice for the mysterious death of two children who went missing few weeks ago.
According to reports, little Elijah Kpoluma and Thomas Kollie, believed to be in early 10 and 11 years reportedly went missing since May 30 and 31, 2019.
Kingsville Protesters
The aggrieved Kingsville citizens complained that the missing children were later found with parts extracted from their bodies.
Four persons from the community were arrested, having been linked to the act, but reports suggest that the police failed to provide findings into the investigation.
This angered residents of the community, thus provoking street protest.
The protesters said during the road blocks Monday morning, Police Support Unit Officers arrived at the scene, removed the road block, but was later replaced by them.
They told reporters that after few minutes of tussle, police officers began to shoot at them, resulting to one person dead and other two persons injured.
“I was right here, when the PSU people started shooting we all decided to run, he was sitting down roasting corn so when the [police] man was coming he decided to run, while running the man decided to fire at his back at his head, that’s how he fell.
When he fell; when he fell, we all ran on the other side, then the other PSU man fired the boy on his foot. The boy that was shot on his head died on the spot.”– Patricia Flomo, Eyewitness
OK FM Margibi County Correspondent Emmanuel Sensee said several residents of Kingsville have expressed fear, while others have began leaving the environment.
Police Report
The Liberian national police in its report on the incident said While responding officers of the LNP were trying to remove the road blocks and illegal checkpoints from the Kakata Highway, they were stiffly resisted with stone throwing protestors and the use of other dangerous weapons including steel rods and petrol bombs which resulted in the injuries of three residents of Kingsville including: Saah Saah, 18, Dave Mombo, 18, and Abraham Tumba, 17 years old, all of the same community.
Police also said two officers, namely: Insp. Morris Dahn, and Sgt. Gbornimah Barmabia sustained head and leg injuries. Those who sustained injuries are said to be responding to treatment at the Du-Side Hospital in Margibi County and the John F. Kennedy Medical hospital in Monrovia.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police said it has launched an immediate joint investigation comprising the Professional Standards Division (PSD) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to probe into reports of shooting.
In recent days, officers of the Liberian National Police have been branded by some citizens as partisan police.
This is evidence by the recent photos of a police officer which circulated on social media, where he was seen wearing his Police riot gear during the June 7, “Save the State Protest”, but wore a partisan T-shirt during the official campaign launch of the Coalition for Democratic Change on Saturday, June 22,2019.
