MONROVIA – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean has directed Police Inspector General Patrick Sudue to launch an ‘exhaustive’ investigation into alleged police shooting at demonstrators that led to the death of one of three injured victims.
According to a release from the Ministry of Justice, the investigation is to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the use of lethal force; and whether unreasonable force was used during Monday, June 23, 2019 protest, contrary to accepted police training and policy.
Abraham Toomey, 17, Saah Saah, 18 and Dave Momo, 18 were allegedly shot by riot police officers on Monday in their bid to disperse a crowd of protestors who had setup roadblocks and checkpoints on the Monrovia-Kakata demanding justice for the alleged ritualistic killings of two minors in the area.
Toomey, 17 was later pronounced dead at the Du-side Hospital in Margibi County.
The bodies of Thomas Kollie, 10 years old and Elijah Porluma, 9 years old were discovered on June 3, 2019 in the bushes of Kingsville hours after they were sent on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2019 by their parents to sell but did not return home and were declared missing.
The Liberia National Police (LNP) late Monday evening posted to their Facebook page that 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. Also, 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.
However, Nathan Greaves, guardian of Abraham Toomey who was allegedly shot in the head by police officers on Monday in Kingsville, Lower Montserrado County, has expressed dismay and described as “wicked” the police denial of the incident.
Mr. Greaves confirmed to FrontPageAfrica on Tuesday afternoon that Toomey died of bullet wounds at the Dusa Hospital in Firestone, Harbel.
He expressed shock that the police would release a statement distancing itself from the incident.
“It’s a blatant lie. The people were staging a peaceful protest. No one had petrol bomb, cutlass or steel rod. They killed the boy and they don’t want to admit it. Why would they do that? He was only roasting corn and decided to run when he saw them coming,” he said in a lamenting tone.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has called on the residents of Number 7, Kingsville and all interested parties to remain and await the results of the investigation.
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