Liberia: Police Charge Man, 32, with Simple Assault, Terroristic Threat; Exempts Lawmaker Acarous Gray
Monrovia – The Liberia National Police (LNP) has investigated and charged suspect Dargbeh Jugbe, 32, with Simple Assault, Criminal Mischief and Terroristic Threat for allegedly injuring Joseph Boy Cooper on 9th Street, Sinkor.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
The investigative report indicates that on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, Mr. Cooper, owner of a Sports bar in Sinkor, engaged with District #8 Representative Moses Acarous Gray in an attempt to play a “gossip recording” which he was informed was in the possession of Rep.Gray.
According to Police investigation, Mr. Cooper’s engagement of Rep Gray was as a result of information that reached him by one of his staff of the refusal of Rep.Gray to enter his Sports bar due to the recording.
The LNP investigative report revealed that while Rep. Gray and Cooper were in a verbal exchange, suspect Jugbe, 32, a resident of the Capitol Bye-pass community confronted Mr. Cooper to tune down his voice because he was speaking to an “Honorable man”.
Accordingly, the investigation revealed that while the suspect attempted calming Mr. Cooper, he hit the suspect on his left eye with a finger ring on his right hand leaving the suspect with bruises.
The situation, according to the police investigation, led to the suspect’s outburst thereby hitting Mr. Cooper on his head which resulted in an injury.
The investigation revealed that suspect Jugbe further broke into the glass door of the bar in search of Cooper.
The investigation states that the suspect does not work for Rep. Gray and was neither accompanied by District #8 lawmaker.
It was also established from eyewitnesses’ accounts including staff of the bar that at no time during the altercation did Rep. Gray ordered the flogging and elimination of victim Cooper, according to the Police report.
It can be recalled that the District # 8 lawmaker was invited by the police last week for his alleged involvement in the manhandling of Cooper.
However, in an interview with FrontPageAfrica, Rep. Gray claimed had received several complaints from the residents of 9th Street that Cooper’s night club played loud music up till 4:00 am.
The lawmaker claimed that he tried to intervene by calling the owner but Cooper insisted that he would continue to play loud music, sparking verbal altercation and a subsequent fist fight.
But Gray denied being involved with the fight, nor did his personal bodyguard was involved.