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Politics News

Unprovoked murder

Investigators say no danger was posed to police officer Roosevelt Demann to prompt the shooting and killing of 39 – year – old motorcycle operator Beyan Lamin in Paynesville this week.


Following investigation, Police Inspector General Col Patrick Sudue said Thursday, 3 May that the deceased was gunned down from his rear, demonstrating that he was escaping from suspect Demann.

“It also established that there was no exchange of gunfire or shooting between Lamin Beyan and suspect Roosevelt [Demann], and that after shooting and killing Lamin Beyan, suspect left the scene and while in route to Zone – 5 Depot, he fired his own left hand with the very gun assigned to him to depict that there was exchange of gunfire between him and victim Lamin Beyan,” says Col. Sudue.

Defendant Demann has been duly charged with murder and detained at the Monrovia Central Prison, pending prosecution. Col. Sudue told journalists on Thursday that defendant Demann used excessive force on 29 April resulting to the death of victim Lamin, a resident of the Soul Clinic Community.

He says investigators found that defendant Demann discharged LNP assigned weapon NP22 NORINCO, and that two of its empty shells were recovered on separate scenes.

Investigators say at about 2200 hours, a tussle ensued between defendant Demann and victim Lamin at the Soul Clinic Road Junction, witnessed by bystanders.
Officer Deman who commanded the Tortoise Base Police Depot in Redlight, Paynsville, killed victim Lamin following a night – time chase on Sunday, 29 April over alleged violation of traffic regulation before shooting his own hand to depict an exchange of gunfire with the deceased.

He murdered the victim before his family after an encounter at the Parker Paint Intersection where he informed the deceased that he was under arrest for violating government regulation banning motorcycles in the area.

Before killing the victim, defendant Demann is said to have turned down all appeals by victim Lamin and his sister and brother, requesting the officer to only seize the motorbike with assurance that Lamin would have been submitted to the police depot the next morning.

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Armed riot police sandwiched defendant Demann in a police van and escorted him to court briefly after authorities briefed the media on his charge of murder at the police headquarters Thursday.

Upon receiving defendant Demann at the Monrovia City Court under heavy police escort, Magistrate Kennedy Peabody informed the accused that his case is not bailable and therefore he would be detained at Central Prison from where he and his lawyer will build their case.

He faces indefinite suspension from the Liberia National Police (LNP) due to the incident. The defendant with one of his hands bandaged, had covered his face with a cloth to prevent being photographed outside the court.

By Winston W. Parley

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