It was a tragic scene at the Agip-Ada George junction in Port Harcourt as a trigger-happy policeman shot and killed a motorist simply identified as Anthony on Thursday evening.
It was gathered that the yet-to-be-identified policeman, who was with his colleagues, fired three shots after allegedly claiming that Anthony, who was driving a private car, refused to stop after he was flagged down at the junction.
One of the bullets fired by the policeman was said to have hit the young man in the back, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. He veered off the road and crashed into three persons, all of whom reportedly sustained serious injuries.
The action of the policeman caused pandemonium in the area as passers-by and residents rushed to the vehicle and brought out the driver, who was unconscious and covered in blood.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said the incident occurred at about 5pm on Thursday, adding that the policemen tried to chase the vehicle before the shots were fired.
The eyewitness revealed that the policeman subsequently shot sporadically into the air in an attempt to escape but was held by some youths in the area.
He said, “It was around 5pm. The police officers close to Agip/Ada George Junction stopped a young man who was driving, but he didn’t stop. So, they started running after him. Next thing, one of the policemen started shooting.
“He (the trigger-happy cop) shot three times. The bullet hit the driver from behind and pierced his chest. The vehicle lost control and hit people, about three of them.
“There was confusion and people were shouting and running. Some people brought the driver out and rushed him to the hospital close to the junction, where he died.”
He continued, “After shooting the driver, the policeman started shooting sporadically in the air in an attempt to escape. Some youths confronted him, collected the gun from him and started beating him.
“While they were beating the policeman, other police officers arrived and rescued him.”
Meanwhile, a video that surfaced online showed residents and business owners gathered at the scene after the operative attempted to escape, apparently after realising what his actions had caused.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Blessing Agaba, said she was aware of the incident and would release a statement to provide details of what transpired.
Agaba, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stated, “Yes, I heard of the incident. I’m still getting details from the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) to get the details. I will release an official statement soon.”
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