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General News of Tuesday, 21 August 2001

Source: GNA

Student shot dead by Policeman

Joseph Yawo Avonor, a 27- year-old student of Accra Polytechnic, was on Thursday shot dead by a Policeman at Dansoman in Accra following some verbal exchanges between a passenger and the officer over the driver's behaviour.

A source at the Dansoman Divisional Police Command told the media that the policeman, Corporal Twumasi Appiah of Odokor Police station has been detained.

The source said the officer boarded a taxicab to Dansoman and during the ride, he cautioned the driver not to open the door of his car while it was in motion.

After the caution one passenger at the backseat, Kwame Atitsogbe, 37, alias Sly, a resident at Dansoman, challenged the officer that such an incident had never occurred as at the time of his caution.

The officer then retorted that he was not referring to Sly and that he should shut up and ordered that Sly should get down from the cab.

When he alighted together with the officer at Akokofoto Junction, Avonor, who saw them exchanging words, approached the two.

The officer was reported to have fired the gun that hit Avonor, who fell and died while being sent to the hospital.

The Dansoman Police have confirmed the story and said the suspect would soon be arraigned before court.