By Grace Q. Bryant
The Liberia National Police has sent EPS Patrick Kollie, 27 years to the Monrovia Central Prison for allegedly killing Valentine Johnson at the Police Academy Junction.
“In view of the foregoing facts and circumstances surrounding the death of deceased Johnson, coupled with physical evidence (9mm Norinco pistol) adduced, as well as witnesses’ accounts, this investigation has resolved to charge defendant Kollie with the Crime of Murder in violation of Chapter 14, Section 14.1 of the revised penal code of the Republic of Liberia,” the police charge sheet concluded.
The investigation conducted on July 4 that the defendant was not on official duty neither around his assigned vicinity, adding that the defendant was on his way to his Police Academy residence and allegedly came across some criminals who tried to molest him by impeding his movement.
Police investigation established that while the argument was ongoing between defendant and those alleged criminals, the defendant went into his parked vehicle and took out his assigned 9mm Norinco Pistol with serial number LR/ EPS / 4097307-67 and as soon as the criminals realized that defendant Kollie was in possession of an arm, they took to their heels and passed by an approaching motorbike.
“Investigation further established that as soon as the two criminals passed the approaching motorbike, defendant Kollie fired a round behind the two criminals thus hitting deceased Johnson above his left eye and exiting behind his head leaving him unconscious and subsequently succumbing to death,” police charge revealed.
The charge explained that after defendant Kollie realized that he had wrongly hit the wrong person, he immediately got into his vehicle and speedily left the crime scene and went towards the SKD Boulevard Road passing through Police Academy.
According to the police charge sheet, defendant Kollie during the course of the investigation, he admitted discharging firearm and explained that he was attacked by a group of thugs who wanted to disarm him and in the process his firearm went off or got discharged, thereby hitting a civilian who was riding on an approaching motorbike.
The police findings reached that Defendant Kollie had no reason to shoot behind the alleged criminals having known and seen that they were actually afraid and fleeing from him.
The findings maintained that the weapon of defendant Kollie was discharged unnecessarily, because there was no imminent threat posed to him or any other one that warranted him discharging his firearm.
The findings added that the defendant, having observed that deceased Johnson was being hit by the bullet that he discharged from his weap, he quickly drove from the scene leaving the deceased unresponsive with blood oozing from the back of his head.
The examination conducted on the deceased physical body at the John Kennedy Memorial Hospital, was observed that the deceased was shot above his left eye which was the entry wound and exited behind his skull, adding that he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The findings further explained that the defendant’s action clearly shows that he was in flagrant violation of rule four of the basic firm arm cardinal rules that states, “beware of your target and what is beyond your target.”
However, the City Court Judge, Jomah Jallah has granted the defendant preliminary examination in proceedings inconsistent with Chapter 12.2
“A defendant charged with a chapter offense or felony has right entitled to preliminary examination when requested by defense,” he maintained.
The judge’s decision came in when the defendant’s lawyer requested the court to grant the defendant’s preliminary examination in line with section 12.2 criminal law of the Republic of Liberia.
But prosecution interposed no objection and requested the court to suspend the matter due to time, adding that the court cannot hear Murder cases at evening hours.
