Demanding That LDEA Officers Preserve It Until They Are Exonerated
By King Brown,sawwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia- Aggrieved family members of the late Justine Davis, who allegedly jumped into the St. John River while escaping security officers’ arrest, say there was a foul play on their son’s body, after he reportedly fled from security.
Angry mob carried out vandalism, including burning of the police station.
According to the father of the deceased, Samuel Davis and brother in-law Spencer Harris, the head of their son is damaged but his entire body is intact.
The body of Justine Davis, 29 and father of four children, was discovered on Wednesday afternoon in Duwien Town near the St. John River bank by locals in the area.
The late Justine Davis went missing on Wednesday, January 18, and his lifeless body was discovered on Wednesday January 25, 2023.
Family members have rejected the body and have asked officers of the Drug Enforcement Agency to keep it until the investigation is concluded.
They said their son never died from drowning in the St. John River.
The family said in a position statement that their son had sense to know that he was father of four children; therefore, he could not be brave enough to jump into the river without being tortured by security officers.
The aggrieved family said there is evidence to show that the late Justine Davis was mobbed from his head and they will pursue the case until those involved are prosecuted under the law.
Speaking on the discovery of his body, the Deputy Commander of the Crime Services Division of Police in Grand Bassa County, Daniel Clay has called for calm.
He said the body had decayed so the 15 men coroner jury report would not determine the cause of death.
The victim father Samuel Davis said, “I will not say now I will take the body, LDEA officers will keep the lifeless body until the case finished; I will not sign any position statement from the CSD officers, they ran behind my son and he jumped into the water, he did not leave in the water, his head is damaged and it looks like they mobbed his head”.
He said that the dead body which is in the possession of the government should be taken to Abraham Robert funeral home in Buchanan for preservation while they are going through the case.
The case is between family members of the late Justine Davis and officers of the Drugs Enforcement Agency assigned at St. John Checkpoint in Grand Bassa County.
Brother in-law of the deceased, Spencer Harris said: “Now we identified the body from the tattoo and shoes on our brother and we agreed is our brother dead body but we want to know the actual caused of his death from the government because foul played, no body sound enough with four living children will jumped in water and died. Let the government take the body to the funeral home and keep it.”
But according to Deputy Police Commander Daniel Clay, the father of the deceased Samuel Davis identified the body from the tattoo on his left hand and shoes he wore before the incident occurred.
Mr. Clay said it has been reported in the media that the late Justine Davis was allegedly chased by officers of the Drugs Enforcement Agency for being in possession of narcotic drugs at the St. John Checkpoint on the Buchanan –Monrovia highway.
Following that, he said the report said after the late Justine was allegedly chased by DEA officers, out of fear of being arrested by security officers, he allegedly jumped into the St. John River.
Deputy CSD commander Clay said: “We did our work and everything was successful that means the 15 men coroner jury were selected to do the inquest but they would not determine whether foul played or not because of the decompose state of the body, now we want to turn it over to the family and they are not signing the document so the body will stayed right here until we seek redress from our bosses”.
However, the Deputy CSD commander stated that investigation has begun to establish what happened before the late Justine Davis jumped into the St. John River.
So far the Police commander of Grand Bassa William Johnson said about seven people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in setting on fire the police station at St. John River checkpoint in district two, Grand Bassa County.
The angry mob also attempted to damage the police checkpoint in Big Joe Town outside Buchanan.
The Police commander said those arrested are presently undergoing investigation at the police headquarters in Buchanan.
According to Mr. Johnson, lots of damages were done to the police checkpoints in St. John and Big Joe Town by angry motorcyclists after they heard a young man jumped into a river for fear of being arrested by state securities.
He mentioned five persons were arrested on the crime scene at St. John checkpoint while additional two persons were arrested at Big Joe Town checkpoint.
Police Commander stated: “the DEA officers intercepted him through search, they were two on the motorbike and they found illicit substance that he was traveling along with and while trying to arrest him, he escaped and took the road to the bridge way and would not be found, people came and started destroying properties and chasing after security officers. We regret the death of one of our citizens and the burning down of the only police station in the area.”
He called on citizens and all parties involved to remain calm as the law takes its course.
Following the incident, the mayor of St. John City in district two, where the incident happened James Emmanuel Brooks expressed regret over the violence actions of angry citizens.
He said he has contacted the joint security of the city to investigate all parties involved into the violence act.
He added that though the life of Justine Davis is important but angry motorcyclist destroying the police checkpoint was not the best solution.
He mentioned that the allegation of angry motorcyclists against state security by attempting to arrest one of their members will be fully investigated.
It can be recalled that on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 angry crowds in Grand Bassa County set ablaze the only police depot at St. John River Bridge in electoral district two.
Security officers ran away from the checkpoint to protect their lives when they saw a group of angry motorcyclists coming towards the gate. They ran into a bush behind the office of the Forestry Development Authority out of fear of being harmed by angry citizens.
The angry crowd burned down the police depot following an incident involving a motorcyclist Justin Davis who was allegedly chased by officers of the Drugs Enforcement Agency for being in possession of narcotic drugs.
Speaking to www.newspublictrust.com on the scene, the brother of the deceased Paul Davis said that they were heading to Montserrado County with some marijuana for themselves when the DEA officers discovered it in the inside cover of their motorbike.
Paul explained that after the DEA officers arrested him and seized the bike, the officers allegedly ran after his brother and due to fear of being arrested, his brother Justine jumped into the St. John River.
But the Commander of the Drugs Enforcement Agency in Grand Bassa County Bishop Zangar noted that the information is false and misleading.
Commander Zanger said it remains an allegation until investigation established the facts that his DEA officers are responsible for the death of Justine Davis, a resident of New Buchanan Community.