Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – The guardian of 17-year-old Abraham Tumay, who died of bullet wound a day after he was allegedly shot by an officer of the Police Support Unit (PSU of the Liberia National Police (LNP, Nathan Greeves, has told Punch online service that he’s upset with the LNP, over its handling of the case in identifying his son’s killer.
Tumey, was shot in the head, allegedly by a PSU officer, during a melee that ensued when scores of citizens of Kingsville were protesting against what they term the ritualistic killing of two minors, 10 year-old Thomas Kollie and 9 year-old Elijah Porluma, in Kingsville, Lower Montserrado County.
Medical practitioners at the Du-Side Hospital in Firestone, Margibi County pronounced Abraham dead on Monday, following frantic efforts to save his life.
On Monday, citizens and residents of Kingsville blocked the road leading from the Redlight commercial hub onto Kakata, Margibi County, in demand of justice over the mysterious killing of the minors, when police officers brought in to quell the impasse allegedly resorted to using live bullets to disperse the crowd of protesters.
Mr. Greeves, a former Superintendent for Careysburg District, Lower Montserrado County, who said the deceased prior to his demise lived with him for about nine years, told Punch online service that in spite of being called by police authorities to report at the Central Police Headquarters in Monrovia on Tuesday, so that the PSU officer allegedly involved in the shooting of Abraham would be identified, the LNP failed to do so after hours of being at the headquarters.
“Well we came this morning because the police told us to report to Central so that they would get better information on the incident, because they heard that the man got shot by a police officer, so they were gathering all their police officers so that we could identify the police officer. But unfortunately, when we came, they did not do so as planned. They did not even bring any officer to us to show,” Mr. Greeves lamented.
“They are not bringing them forth, but the police are saying they will investigate,” a rather disappointed Greeves further said.
Mr. Greeves, who found it difficult in finding the exact words to describe the police action at the Central Police Headquarters expressed disappointment in the LNP.
“I don’t know how to actually term it – but I’m just feeling completely upset over the action of the national police; people that we should be running to for help, they are the people we are running from now,” he said.
He explained that Abraham was not part of the protesters, but that the 7th Grader at the Faith Over-comer School came from school, and was at his sister’s house while she was roasting corn when he saw a group of fleeing protesters being pursued by armed police officers.
Mr. Greeves added that upon observing the frightening scene of on-rushing gun-toting police officers, Abraham panicked and decided to run, and he was then shot from the back allegedly by an unidentified officer of the LNP.
Meanwhile, police spokesman Moses Carter, the LNP has launched an immediate joint investigation comprising the police Professional Standards Division (PSD) and the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to probe into reports of shooting that claimed the life of Tumay.
In a statement issued Monday, Carter said: “The public can be assured that any officer found culpable in the unconventional use of lethal weapon will be made to face the full weight of the law.”
