…Accuses Police Of Covering Up Shooting Incident
By: Claudia Immanuel
The community of Mix settlement is angered by the death of 25-year-old Absalom Absalom who died after he was shot by a police officer on Saturday night.
The community claims that the police in its crime report put out the wrong information. The police report stated that Absalom died after a gun went off during a scuffle with a policeman during an operation in the area.
According to the weekend crime bulletin the incident happened on
Saturday, 3 September 2022 at 23:45 at Mix settlement, Khomas region.
It is alleged that members of Katutura Police Station were conducting a routine patrol in Mix settlement and found people and advised them on the contravention of Liquor Act control.
“The deceased insisted and wanted to attack the police. During the scuffle, a bullet struck the deceased, and died instantly. No suspect was arrested yet, and Police investigations continue,” the report said.
However, eyewitnesses who spoke to The Villager said the deceased was never in a fight with the policeman.
“The victim and others saw the police coming and they closed themselves in the bar. The police officers demanded them to open the bar and they refused to open and two officers jumped through the back and got in the bar,” said one of the community members who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
She said when the police entered the bar, they began to assault everyone and demanded them to go to their houses.
“People started running out and the victim was playing pool and was holding a pool stick and he threw it away where the police officers were standing and run about 50 meters or so and the police pulled the trigger and shot the victim and he died at the spot,” she said.
After the shooting, she said the community members started gathering and asking the police officer who shot the victim to reveal himself.
The community members are angry. What makes the community angrier is what they reported on their page that the victim was fighting them back and that they are saying that no one was arrested,” she adds.
Aaron Aaron who was also at the bar told The Villager that they were watching soccer when the police officer started knocking at the door.
He said they couldn’t find the key to open the door and so the police jumped through the back.
“I was in a different room and as I come out, I saw people beaten with sticks and people started escaping going out,” said Aaron.
Describing the day’s event, he said as they ran out of the bar they heard a gunshot.
“It was Absalom who was shot while running toward his house. The community members then asked why the police shot the victim. They responded by saying Absalom poured alcohol onto the officer which is not true. There was no proof that the police was poured alcohol. He wasn’t even wet,” he narrates.
In this vein, he said the community members are planning a demonstration for the arrest of the policemen.
Meanwhile, Khomas region police spokesperson warrant officer Silas Shipandeni said that they have the report on official records that the victim and others were having alcohol in public and that the officers confronted them about it.
Shipandeni said that one of the boys wanted to beat the officer and throw alcohol in the direction of the officer.
“The victim picked a stone walking toward the officer and that is when the bullet shot the deceased.”
However, when asked about the arrest, he said that will only be done after investigations are concluded.
