PHOTO: One of the men sent to court
By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
PLEEBO, Liberia: After being arrested and investigated by the Liberia National Police, two men have now been charged and sent to court for allegedly flogging a police officer in Maryland County’s commercial city.
This areas is situated 381 kilometers or 237 miles southeast of Monrovia and the incident is said to have occurred, while the police were enforcing the 3PM off the streets restrictions under the ongoing COVID-19 Stay Home order and the State of Emergency.
The Police in Pleebo Sodoken District recently forwarded the two men to the Pleebo City Magistrate Court for persecution on multiple charges.
Suspect Stanley Tugbe, age 19 and Augustine Brown of the Mission Town Community in Pleebo are charged with Hindering Law enforcement, Physical Obstruction of Government Function, Disorderly Conduct and Simple Assault.
Pleebo Police Station, Maryland
On Sunday May 3, 2020 at about 15: 30 GMT, some men of the Mission town Community deliberately fought and wounded the Chief of Operations of the Liberia National Police Detachment in Pleebo, but the police charge sheet says two were arrested and others not yet identified are said to be on the run.
Both Stanley Tugbe and Augustine Brown were arrested by the LNP officers who went on the scene to reinforce the arrest order, after they allegedly assaulted and brutalized the OPS, Amos W. Yancy.
According to the Chief Of Operations in the area, Amos W. Yancy, “on Sunday 3 May my team and I went to our regular working point the Mission Town Board where we always plant our checkpoing to regulate the Movement of Motorcycle and People, we asked everyone to leave the streets. After we cleared the streets, everyone left and surprisingly a man (not yet identified) fully but only as Sylvester. I asked him to go into his community and he says I don’t have a community I live here on the streets, so why going towards he started walking into the Community and insulting me and tried to arrest him but unfortunately some guys from the Community and started throwing stones at us (Police Officers)and I was hit on my face and wounded in that process.”
Officer Yancy said the guy insisted that he was not leaving the street until 11:59. “And when I was getting closer to him, he started running into the Community, where a group later gathered and started throwing stones at us,” said the senior Police Officer in Maryland County.
”We arrested the guy who misbehave and also one man from the group that were throwing stones at us and I want to appeal to our brothers in the Armed Forces of Liberia who are focusing Harper to sometime come and aid us in the process,” the local Police official said.
In an interview with www.newspublictrust.com , Officer Yancy said that this was the third time officers of the Liberia National Police assigned at the Depot in the Commercial city of Pleebo have suffered brutalization from the hands of citizens and residents of Pleebo Sodoken District.
According to him, last week the Deputy Commander was also assaulted by a motorcyclist. And prior to that, another officer suffered violence from the hands of a community member who tore the Officer’s shirt.
Pleebo Sodoken District Police Commander, Inspector Lavoisier P.Toe also lamented the behavior of locals and their hostility towards the Police who he said are only enforcing law and order.
“I want our people to know that 3pm is a curve feed time and businesses are closed, movement should stop and everyone should stay in their respective communities. But soon as is 3pm that is the time people of jump into the street and take Police to be their enemy,” said the local Police Commander in Maryland County.
“I am appealing to our People to stop fighting and assaulting Police officers we are not enemy to you we are here to save life and protect property ,some people have understand the meaning of LOCK DOWN situation but some are heard,” Inspector Toe said.
The Pleebo Detachment Commander Journalists that the Police are working in collaboration with the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, the Liberia Immigration Services and the Community Policing Forum to enforce the state of emergency and the lock down in the County.
Inspector Toe dismissed allegations that he is working with the Boy Scouts to enforce the Stay Home Order and State of Emergency.
He called on citizens to report any state security officer involve in any harassment.