Recently arrested ‘gunman’ is a sergeant, interdicted amid probe – Police

‘Gunman’ lodge complaint of assault by assailants

Police launch investigation into conduct of Police Sergeant

Police assure justice will be served

The Ghana Police Service has identified the ‘gunman’ who was seen brandishing a pistol in a viral video last week as a Police Sergeant stationed at the Central Regional Police Command.

The police, in an April 4, 2022 statement also disclosed that in line with standard procedure, the said police officer has been interdicted to pave the way for a full investigation.

It also detailed that the police sergeant lodged a complaint of assault alleging that he was attacked by a group of people, one of whom was wielding a cutlass.

“The attention of the Police Service was drawn to a video in which a person wielding a pistol was captured engaged in an argument and a subsequent fight with another person.

“Police immediately commenced investigation into the incident resulting in the arrest of the person and subsequent retrieval of the weapon.

“Preliminary findings show that the person who was seen wielding the weapon is a police Sergeant stationed at the Central Regional Police Command. The said policeman has been interdicted to make way for a full investigation into the matter.

“Investigation further indicates that the Police Sgt. lodged a complaint of assault against his assailants alleging that he was attacked by a group of persons one of whom was wielding a cutlass,” part of the statement read.

The Police statement also mentioned that it has launched an investigation into the conduct of the unidentified officer, adding that both criminal investigation and the professional standards investigation will run concurrently.

“The Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) has also commenced investigation into the conduct of the police officer. Both the criminal investigation and the professional standards investigation will run concurrently. We would like to assure the public that justice will be served,” the statement concluded.

Background

GhanaWeb reported the incident of a man brandishing a pistol while physically assaulting another man in a video.

The amateur video which made rounds on social media shows the two men on the shoulders of a road that is believed to be the Accra-Cape Coast Road.

Unsure what led to the two getting into such a confrontation, the tall lankier-looking man, wielding his gun in his right hand, more than once gets slaps to the face of the other man.

With two cars parked just around them, the two continue to engage in an argument, even as the other man makes intermittent attempts to walk away from the one brandishing the gun.

His attempts fail every time because the one with the gun walks right back on him, using the least opportunity to hit him in the face with his left hand.

Another man (a third person) wearing a black and yellow basketball tan top joins in, attempting to separate them.

At the next opportunity, the man who was on the receiving side of all the abuse, rushes to his car and quickly prepares to drive away but is again chased down by the man wielding the gun.

With no access to the man now because he is in his car, the man with the gun turns on his anger to the car, smashing the side mirrors and the windshields of the car before the car finally makes it onto the road and the driver speeds off.

In a post shared by a Facebook user called Bonifacio Edem Anthony, who claims to be a cousin of the man who was assaulted, he explained that it was an issue of the latter trying to bring to attention the careless driving of the gun-wielding man.

“This just happened some few hours ago, you driving carelessly and dangerously and my cousin went to tell you to be a little careful because you have a gun you started hitting him, you fink my cousin is scared of guns… Hmmm I thank God for my cousin’s life,” the caption read.