PHOTO: An EPS convoy
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Executive Protection Service (EPS) says it “has launched a full scale investigation to establish any potential reason for the apparent suicide” committed by one of its officers accompanied President George Weah on his ongoing tour of Counties.
An EPS press release identified the officer as Melvin Early.
According to preliminary reports, the long serving EPS agent allegedly shot himself at about 06:03 am on Friday, February 19, 2021 in Tappita, Nimba County. He was on duty at the time of the incident.
But one unconfirmed report from Nimba says one of his motives might have been related personal grievances over social issues.
The press release further said EPS regrets the sudden death of one of its agents, Melvin Earley.
Agent Earley has been with EPS since the restructuring of the force after the Liberian Civil crisis.
Meanwhile, the hierarchy of the EPS extends heartfelt condolences to his family.
Reports from Nimba say Agent Earley has been serving the SSS, now EPS since its formation.
How it happened
The report said that the deceased first shot himself in his stomach and his body is currently deposited at the Jackson F. Doe referral hospital in Tappita, lower Nimba County.
Before the incident, officer Earley was said to have been observed by the Swift commander behaving in an unusual manner, something that led the Swift commander to attempt to take away the gun from him.
But the deceased is said to have run away from his boss.
After observing his allegedly unusual behaving, the commander reportedly instructed other EPS officers to keep eyes on him, but whether or not they kept eyes on him prior to his death is not known.
Before Melvin Earley, there have been several other EPS officers who have died mysteriously over the years.
It can be recalled in 2017, an EPS officer was admitted at the S.D. A Cooper Hospital where he spilit his chest and back with razor blade. And in 2018, another EPS officer allegedly hanged himself in his room on the Old road in Monrovia’s Sinkor suburb.