A police officer who attempted to save a suspected armed robber from being lynched has been severely injured at Gomoa Amoanda in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.
The police officer, whose identity has been withheld, was part of others from the Central Regional Police Command who responded to a distress call that a suspected armed robber was being lynched.
The suspect, identified by the police as Godwin Quarshie and one other who is at large, had been accused of attacking a motorbike rider, poured powdered pepper into his eyes and snatched his motorbike from him at Gomoa Dasum.
The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Oppong, who briefed the media, said on April 25, 2021 around 4pm, the Dominase District Police Command received a report that suspect Godwin Quarshie, aged 19, and one other at large hired the services of a motor rider from Gomoa Dasum to Gomoa Akotsi Junction.
She said on reaching Gomoa Akotsi-Agona Kwanyako Road, Godwin Quarshie and his accomplice poured powdered pepper into the eyes of the okada rider, beat him up and took the motorbike from him.
“The okada rider raised an alarm and with the help of other okada riders and some youth from the surrounding villages, they chased and arrested suspect Godwin Quarshie, who was riding the motorbike at Gomoa Amoanda, but his accomplice managed to escape,” DSP Oppong stated.
DSP Oppong continued that the youth who arrested the suspect subjected him to severe beatings and wanted to lynch him but one Okoto, a drinking spot operator, rescued him and kept him in his spot.
“On receipt of the report, the police from Dominase proceeded to the scene of crime at Gomoa Amoanda where some youth numbering about150 were holding stones and pieces of wood looking very aggressive and shouting for the release of the suspect to be lynched were met,” DSP Oppong said.
The police managed to rescue the suspect and sent him to the police station but in the process of rescuing the suspect, the police officer got injured when a stone was thrown at him.
The Central Regional Police Public Relations Officer added that in the course of the melee, the motorbike that the robbers snatched also got missing.
She said that suspect is in police custody assisting the police in their investigations.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey