Liberia: Police Gunshot Wounds Bystander in Gardnersville

A Liberia National Police officer's gunshot wounded a motorcyclist bystander during a confrontation with residents at Chicken Soup Junction in Gardnersville Thursday afternoon, after a crowd attempting to stop police from removing an alleged motorcycle thief triggered a chaotic exchange that ended with tear gas blanketing a residential community.

The injured man, Solomon Fallah, is receiving treatment at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital and responding to care, according to Community Chairman William T.K. Nyango. The suspect whose alleged theft ignited the incident, identified by police as William Kwetee, is in custody. Authorities described Kwetee as a "notorious criminal who went to steal and got caught in the process."

Eyewitness Amos Saah, a businessman present during the confrontation, said the sequence began when the accused ran into a barbershop seeking refuge and residents moved to block police from taking him away. "That was when one of the officers put the gun in the air and fired for the first time," Saah said. "The second time, one of the guys knocked his hand, and in that process the gunshot hit the other boy on his head."

Police offered a different account. Authorities at the Zone Four Police Depot said a member of the crowd attempted to disarm one of the officers, triggering a struggle over the weapon. "The firearm was discharged into the air," police said. "It was the empty shell that hit the victim on his head."

After the shots, residents began throwing stones. Police called for backup and deployed tear gas that drifted into surrounding homes and businesses. Resident Alice Gibson said she was not at the scene but felt the consequences directly. "When it happened, the police entered the entire community firing tear gas. People were fainting," she said, describing two pickup trucks of officers dispersing through the neighborhood. "It was very bad."

Clifford Nyanpan, chairman for operations within the Chicken Soup Factory community, placed blame squarely on the decision to fire a weapon in a populated area. "Why should an armed officer shoot among citizens? This was the main problem that escalated the tension," he said, adding that the community intended to pursue the matter further.

Some bystanders framed the crowd's aggression as a symptom of eroded confidence in the justice system. "This area is a hotspot for criminals who are caught and released without proper justice," one person said. "This is why people can be taking the law into their own hands."

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.