Liberians resident near Roberts International Airport stage a violent and angry demonstration late September over the alleged killing of 30-year-old young man by officers of the Liberian National Police.
Eyewitness report claims the man was killed by LNP rogues at about 06.10 am on September 28 for violating an 11pm-6am curfew.
The man’s murder ignited a violent and angry demonstration from angry colleagues of the guy, who threw stones and other objects at any police officers they set eyes on.
Their demonstration led to the blocking of the main highway leading from Monrovia to the airport.
Some claimed their friend, whom they couldn’t identify by name, had come out early Saturday morning at few minutes past 6 a.m. to begin his “from-hand-to-mouth, daily hustle” when police officers arrested, beat and killed him for refusing to let go his ipad, allegedly for violating a curfew which ended before he left home.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf imposed a curfew in early August from nine p.m. to six a.m. and later reduced it from 11 p.m. to six a.m.
According to an eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity for dear life, said that he was on the scene when the police attacked the deceased and murdered him.
This fellow told journalists that when the police officers, who had murdered this young man, noticed that he had seen what they had done, they chased after him.
“I ran for my life, too. As I was running, I began shouting so that people in the community must get up and see what the police had done.”
He further disclosed that while the deceased was alive, he overheard him saying, as he argued with the police: “But look at the time, it’s already 6:10 a.m.; the curfew has already passed so why do you want to arrest me? I can’t give you people my ipad and telephone, I have a lot of personal documents on them.”
Following the demonstration the LNP suspended seven officers suspected of involvement in the unwarranted killing
Police Spokesperson Sam Collins said in a statement a day later: “The Liberia National Police has announced with immediate effect the indefinite suspension of seven of its officers pending investigation surrounding the death of an unidentified man at the ELWA Junction, which resulted into pandemonium and road block interrupting the free flow of traffic while on assignment.
The suspension of the seven officers took immediate effect from Saturday, September 27, 2014.”
The police said it considered the situation serious, and that its Crimes Services Division had immediately launched an investigation into the matter to establish the cause of death.
“The body of the unidentified man has been deposited at a local funeral home, while the police investigation is ongoing. The Police would like to reaffirm its fullest commitment to the rule of law; and we call on Liberians and those residing in the country not to take laws into their own hands”.