Police deny shooting Kebbah victim

Authorities at the Liberia National Police (LNP) say at no point in time did members of the police force shoot in the Kebbah Community, wounding victim Helena Nimely in her neck and causing panic among citizens.

“We want to challenge anyone or call any member of the public to come forward to produce evidence linking the police to have used lethal weapon which caused the injury sustained by Madam Helena Nimely,” Deputy Police Inspector General for Operations Col. Robert Budy told a press conference Wednesday, 4 July.

The wounding of victim Nimely came during a standoff between police and angry protesters at Kebbah, Barnesville when residents sought to set ablaze a heavily speeding truck that allegedly killed a commercial motorbike operator and a passenger instantly before the truck driver fled the scene.

But Col. Budy insists that it is impossible for a bullet or projectile to have caused the laceration, leaving no trace of any foreign body, contrary to many reports that victim Nimely was wounded by bullet of projectile which was fired by a police officer on the incident scene.

He says medical report dispatched to the LNP from the Trinity Healing Temple Health Center reveals that victim Nimely had complaint of bleeding on her neck when she was taken to the hospital.

His argument is that the medical report established that the victim was conscious and she sustained laceration from the back of her right neck about 14 centimeters below he right ear.

He says the medical report further suggests that whatever object that inflicted the wounds on the victim’s neck started from the back of the neck towards the front.

Col. Budy continues that if the police officer that fired was facing the victim, it would have been impossible for the laceration to come from the back to the front.
He says based on the medical report that was released by the medical practitioner in charge, Madam Nimely explained that she was shot by police man.

Col. Budy says the victim explained that while standing along the road, she felt sharp pain on her neck after a heavy sound of gunfire, and she sustained injury at her right neck.

Following physical examination by the medical practitioner on duty, Col. Budy says the report reveals that Madam Nimely was found to have sustained laceration on her right neck, but no foreign body was noted.

According to him, it suggests that no residue or particle was observed on the laceration of victim Nimely by the attending medical practitioner. He notes that the medical report recommends that X-Ray be conducted on the neck of the victim and to continue wound care.

According to him, the LNP is therefore appealing to the public to always remain law abiding at all times when there are incidents which require police intervention or investigation.Col. Budy says Liberia is a country of law, and nobody is above the law.

By Lewis S. Teh–Edited by Winston W. Parley