Police Gun Down Civilians

... 9-year-old boy & ice water seller killed
Ashaiman, June 3, GNA- Three people are reported dead and several others, including police personnel injured, in a clash between the Ashaiman Police and commercial drivers over wrongful parking at Ashaiman, on Tuesday morning.

The drivers had refused to park within a parking lot provided for them, and rather parked by the roadside, thus causing traffic jam. The drivers were demanding the release of their colleagues, who had been arrested for parking at a "no parking" area.

The two, who were killed by stray bullets were a nine-year old boy, an ice water seller and a driver whose name was given as Alhaji, believed to be in his twenties.

The third had not been identified.

Early Tuesday morning, the drivers blocked all roads leading to Ashaiman and burnt lorry tyres to express their displeasure at the arrest of their colleagues by the Ashaiman MTTU.

As at 1020 hours a few soldiers from the First Battalion of Infantry, Michel Camp come to assist the over 200 police personnel from Ashaiman and Tema to bring the situation under control.

The drivers, joined by a mob also threatened to burn down the police station and journalists who were trapped in the attack had to take cover, while the Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) John Kudalor who had rushed there to quell the situation was also not spared as he was injured on the forehead. The Ashaiman Divisional Commander, of the Motor Transport and Unit (MTTU) ASP Timothy Dassah said commercial drivers at Ashaiman had ignored several warnings by the Ashaiman Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTT) to stop parking wrongfully by the road side and rather use the parking lot meant for them.

To enforce this, about 0600 hours the MTTU personnel arrested four drivers and this infuriated the others who started throwing stones and other missiles at the police to demand the release of their colleagues. At this juncture the crowd increased and a clash ensued between the police and drivers who were joined by the mob and in the process, the three lost their lives.

ASP Dassah expressed surprise that officials of the Ashaiman branch of the GPRTU did not dialogue for the release of their colleagues but rather resorted to violence.

At the time of going to press sporadic shooting was over-heard in the background apparently to disperse the mob but they would not budge.