There was a strange reversal of fate at Tanoso, near Kumasi, over the weekend when the zealousness of a policeman in preventing a mob from lynching a driver resulted in the shooting to death of an innocent by stander.

Kwaku Billa Yayaba, 27, died on the spot when he was hit by the bullet which accidentally came off Constable Paul Amagro's gun during a struggle with the angry mob.

Constable Amagro of the Abuakwa Divisional Police had gone to the scene to prevent the mob from lynching the driver of a Nissan Drvan bus but the mob fiercely resisted his intervention, pounced on him and attempted to disarm him of the AK 47 rifle he was wielding.

In the ensuing struggle, the policeman fell to the ground and the gun went off, hitting Yayaba in the left ear and killing him instant-
ly.

Constable Amagro was said to be on duty at the Garden City Savings and Loans Limited at Tanoso when he was informed that a mob was in the process of lynching a driver who had knocked down a pedestrian,

He, therefore rushed to the scene and met the mob severely assaulting the driver.

It was when he moved in to stop the beatings and the mob, in turn, attempted to snatch the AK 47 rifle that Yayaba's misfortune
occurred.

When the gun went off, the mob dispersed and the policeman managed to escape to the Abuakwa Police Station to report the incident.

Inspector Yusif M.ohammed Tanko of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Unit confirmed the incident and said Constable Amagro had since been transferred to the Central Police Station where he had been detained to assist in investigations.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) morgue for autopsy.

Inspector Tanko advised the public to desist from mob action, since it had bad consequences and was an affront to the rule of law.

He explained that mob torture and lynching had also been thwarting police investigations.

Source: Daily Graphic