Five men are currently detained at the Congo Cross Police Station after a gunshot sounded at 4am that disturbed the peace of residents at the Hill Station community
The residents all came out of their houses including the five detainees to see where the gun sound came from and the person who fired the shot.
Cpl. Emerson Momoh, who is among the five detainees also an officer in the Sierra Leone Army, said they heard the gunshot and since there had been rampant raids by thieves, the community had established neighbourhoods watch.
When they heard that gunshot each neighbour blew whistles which each of them had in their houses to wake up the whole community and they all then came out.
“We saw torchlights at Villa 2 the house of a Paramount Chief. We advanced to the house and discovered the shell of the bullet that was fired and we also saw the wall where the bullet hit. We then saw this SSD armed officer at the site together with an army officer, they told us that they were security officials guarding Villa 2 but we were not convinced and interrogated them further. They refused to give us their names so an argument ensued and we decided to stay outdoors until the morning so we would lodge a formal complain to the police at the Hill Station Police post.
“The SSD personnel left and around 6am came back with a unit of other SSD officers in a pickup Toyota Hilux van and without asking us what happened they slapped handcuffs on our hands, bundled us into the pickup van and took us to the SSD headquarters. At the headquarters they beat us up and then took us to the Congo Cross Police Station where we are currently being remanded,” he explained.
The five men arrested were not accused of shooting the gun, but according to the SSD personnel who effected the arrest but still refused to give his name said the five men were the ringleaders of the community that came out after they all heard gunshot.
He stated that the five accused him of being the shooter and a thief and that they rained abuse at him.
The SSD personnel said he was deployed by the OSD director, AIG David Sesay, whom he complained to about the incident and that it was the director who ordered him to make the arrests.
Emerson said the gunshot on the wall was a close range coming from a SLR 7.62 mm rifle which was held by the SSD officer at the time of the shooting.
The SSD who had given statements to the police said he would not talk extensively to journalists until he got clearance from the SSD director.
He has been disarmed and his rifle is with the police as exhibit.
Exhibiting calmness he told Awoko, “I have been in the force for six years and have shot at a thief once, which I complained to headquarters immediately, I am the security personnel at Villa 2 how could I shoot at the ones I am protecting?
He complained that the community people should have tackled the matter in a more civil way not to attack him. “I know police have a bad name but people should cross check before taking actions, we all have rights”, he stated. Meanwhile, the Hill Station community continues to flock the police station urging that the five be released while insisting that the gunshot came from the gun of the SSD personnel.
ADVERTISEMENT