3 police brutalities that made headlines in 2019

The police, in particular, are discharged with the outmost responsibilities of protecting citizens of a country.

However in these parts of the world, citizens are rather abused by police officers during peaceful protests and demonstrations.

This unfortunate development has been part of Ghana's democracy since the adoption of the 1992 constitution and 2019 saw the continuation of these deeds.

We took a look at some of the incidents that led to police brutalities on innocent Ghanaians in 2019.

Three journalists from the Ghanaian Times newspaper who were on their way for the day’s assignment were assaulted by about 10 police officers at Kinbu in Accra Central.

The assault followed a traffic offence and an accident involving a police officer who was using an unregistered motorcycle and the official Ghanaian Times vehicle, which was transporting the journalists to their various assignment venues.

The about 10 police officers who were not happy that the journalists had tried to record the accident and the ensuing exchanges between their driver and the police motor rider, pounced on the journalists and physically assaulted them.

Malik Sullemana, a court reporter, Raissa Sambou, a general reporter and Salifu Abdul Rahman, an assistant editor, felt the full effect of the brute force used by the police officers, leading to two of them being sent to the hospital to receive medical attention.

Nine students of the Ghana Law School were arrested while on a demonstration to demand for reforms at the law school.

Police fired rubber bullets and showered protesters with water from their cannons.

The violence began following disagreement over the route of the demonstration. The police said they had no information that the protesters would be heading to the Jubilee House, the seat of government.

The police insisted they had no permit to proceed and resisted the protesters who had gathered at Afrikiko, about a 100 meters away from Jubilee House.

The otherwise peaceful protest turned violent as water cannons chased away protesters. Some students showed injuries they say was caused by the rubber bullets.

In October, a video of a policeman assaulting a young man in Koforidua went viral on social media.

The assault was due to the allegation that the young man has stolen GHS 1,600 from his masters car.

This led to the then Acting Inspector General of Police, James Oppong-Boanu, to give a directive of the interdiction of the two police officers after watching a viral video showing torturing a man in the custody of the Koforidua Agartha/Railway Police Station.