Pandemonium broke out around the Agip Junction/Ada George area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday evening after a yet-to-be-identified police officer allegedly shot a man dead and injured three others.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 5 pm after the deceased, who was driving a vehicle, allegedly failed to stop when he was flagged down by police officers stationed around the Agip/Ada George Junction.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that one of the officers opened fire on the vehicle after the driver failed to stop.
According to the eyewitness, the bullet struck the driver in the chest after the officer allegedly fired three shots.
He said the vehicle subsequently lost control and crashed into three other people, leaving them injured.
“The police officers close to Agip/Ada George Junction stopped a man who was driving, but he refused to stop. So, the policeman shot him from behind, and the bullet pierced his chest,” the eyewitness said.
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“He died at a hospital close to the junction. The police officer fired three bullets, and the vehicle lost control and hit three other people.
“After shooting the driver, he started shooting sporadically in an attempt to escape. Some youths rushed at him, collected the gun from him and started beating him. Other police officers later arrived and rescued him.”
The eyewitness also questioned why the officer allegedly resorted to using a firearm against the driver, whom he claimed was unarmed.
However, the report that the driver died at a hospital could not be independently verified by Revelation Agents as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted for clarification, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Agabe Blessing Karbolo, said she would make enquiries and get back to our correspondent.
She had not responded as of the time of filing this report.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the identity of the deceased, the condition of the three injured persons and the actions of the police officer involved, remain unclear pending an official statement from the Rivers State Police Command.
