The family of a 37-year-old mechanic who died in police cells minutes after he was violently attacked by thugs is demanding justice for the deceased.

The relatives of the late Kofi Awadzie are accusing the Gbestile Police Station in the Greater Accra Region of negligence which led to the demise of their son.

The 7-year-old son of the deceased told Joy News' Favour Nunoo that he was fetching water with his father on February 7 when they both spotted a rattlesnake nearby.

He said when the father reached for a stick to kill the snake, he ended up hitting another boy who was playing around in the area. This, he said happened after the deceased had consistently cautioned the children to stay at a safe distance.  

Although Mr Awadzie apologised for the incident, the parents of the boy were not content resulting in the decision to organise some men to assault the deceased with sticks.

Late Kofi Awadzie

"He was beaten with sticks after which he was rushed to the police station," the boy said, adding "I was crying but my father told me to stop."

After the assault, the men sent Mr Awadzie to the Gbestile Police Station where he was detained.

"When my father was taken to the police he could stand on only one leg," Mr Awadzie's son narrated.

The police were to discover the following day that Mr Awadzie had died in the cell.

The police were not truthful about the death of the deceased as they told Mr Awadzie's father he was in a coma, but doctors at the Police Hospital pronounced him dead before arrival.

The relatives of the deceased are appealing to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Apeatu to bring the police personnel who were on duty on the day their son died to face the law.