Police gives blow-by-blow account of Tamale shooting incident

The Tamale Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent George Yeboah Afari, has explained the circumstances that led to the shooting incident in Lamashegu in Tamale in the Northern Region.

Four persons including a minor from Lamashegu suffered various degrees of gunshots wounds Sunday Febraury 13.

This was a misunderstanding between police and a cross-section of the youth, Tv3’s Christopher Amoako reported.

The incident took place after a police officer allegedly shot a young man who was driving an unregistered car and refused to stop after several attempts by the said officer to stop him.

Chief Superintendent George Yeboah Afari gave an account of what happened while speaking to journalists.

Below is his full account…

I will say it is unfortunate, we are all aware of the visit of of the Vide President. Therefore I was out within Tolon District when communication was relayed that a Police man was under attack at the Lamashegu Naa’s Palace.

Following that information , I asked my driver to drive straight to the Lamashegu Naa Palace. When we got there, the crowd was too much and even my reception was not encouraging not by the Chiefs and his Elders but by the youth around.

I entered and the Chief said [my] man was nearly to be lynched but he has been brought inside so I should find a means to take him away.

I then called our patrol team, the FPU, to come and in fact they came and whysked all of us away to the Regional Police headquarters. At the headquarters I decided to go to the Tamale Teaching Hospital to see the victim it was alleged was hit by the bullet.

I went there and in fact, I saw a 24-yea-old man who was on a sick bed. According to reports earlier, he had been hit with the bullet in the hip. I went there with an investigator , they took pictures of him and indeed and it was a bit of confirmed that he had been it and doctors were on him and he was also responding to treatment . There and then, I decided to come back and prepare for the other assignment which is to be with the Vice President’s convey .

The youth said this night the whole police station is going to be razed down That is how come you have seen the Military and the Police well-positioned. So we are waiting to see whatever happens here after.

The Policeman is at the regional headquarters right now . We have placed him at the regional headquarters. It is investigations and further interrogation that will bring that thing out . If I stand here and tell you that he did this or he did that I will be off track . Until proper investigations , proper interrogation takes place.