Residents of Tema Community 3 Ramsar Site have accused the police of wrongfully shooting and killing an innocent taxi driver during a shootout with suspected armed robbers.

The taxi driver according to the residents was attending to nature’s call during the shootout on Saturday, August 20.

Tema Police PRO, ASP Juliana Obeng at a press briefing on Sunday, August 21 announced a discovery of an armed robbery training ground where shooting practice takes place for new recruits at the Ramsar Site.

The discovery reportedly came after five armed men attacked a Chinese factory in Tema Industrial area and made away with some valuables.

Upon a tip-off, police patrol teams were dispatched to the suspected hideout of the suspected criminals and the recruits were seen ‘’busily rehearsing,” and using plastic bottles as their target when police arrived, ASP Obeng said.

“Upon seeing the police, they opened fire and the police returned fire, instantly killing one,” she added.

The police retrieved 72 cartridges and some plastic bottles at the scene. Two of the suspects escaped with gunshot wounds and one was arrested, according to the police.

Related: Police discover armed robbery training ground in Tema

But residents have insisted that the police wrongfully shot an innocent man who was attending to nature’s call at the time of the incident.

One resident said a man who was believed to be a policeman assembled some young men at the place and thought them how to shoot.

Another resident said she had been hearing the gunshots but mistook them for fireworks by children in the neighbourhood.

She said ever since she got to know it was a shootout between police and armed robbers they have been living in fear since Saturday.

ASP Juliana Obeng, however, rubbished claims that the deceased was an innocent man and questioned what he was doing there in the heat of a shootout.

She insisted “the police did not set out to kill”. The deceased was among the suspected robbers who opened fire on the police when they arrived at the scene.”