“They Will Pay For It”…AFL Chief Of Staff On Soldiers’ Brutal Clash With Police

Chief-of-Staff-of-the-Armed-Forces-of-Liberia-Major-General-Davidson-F.-Forleh

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, Major General Davidson F. Forleh, has assured injured personnel from the Liberia National Police that the army’s leadership will ensure that those within the AFL involved in the unauthorized attack on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, will face the full consequences of the law.

During a visit to the victims at ELWA Hospital, accompanied by the Inspector General of Police, Colonel Gregory Coleman, and Major General Forleh, encouraged the police officers to stay strong, stating that such incidents are part of the challenges they may encounter while serving their country.

“We are here to reassure you that we take this incident very seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation. Be strong; you are resilient. Serving your nation comes with certain risks. Those responsible for what happened to you will not go unpunished,” the Chief of Staff said.

Following the unauthorized attack, Major General Forleh condemned the actions of the unidentified military personnel against a police officer and urged calm while the investigation is ongoing.

On the evening of February 26, 2025, some unidentified military personnel allegedly attacked a police officer at the SD Cooper Road Junction for reasons that have yet to be determined.

The incident occurred after members of the AFL responded in retaliation for the alleged mishandling of a soldier by police officers during a traffic misunderstanding in Paynesville.

A video earlier surfaced on social media showing police officers scuffling with a man riding a motorbike, which is probably a violation of an ongoing restriction on commercial motorcycles from plying the main streets.

The soldier, who was ununiformed at the time, tried convincing the officers that he was an Army personnel, but they insisted on impounding his bike, something that caused a heated struggle between him and the officers.   The soldier was later overpowered and forcibly thrown in the back of a pickup while the officers insisted on putting him in handcuffs.

The incident annoyed members of the AFL who appeared on the scene in a loaded pickup of soldiers to confront the police officers. But the intervention would quickly escalate into tensions that led to the brutalization of police officer William K. David, who was the main perpetrator of the action against the soldier.

The rest of the officers were forced to run for their lives while their colleague was madly handled by the soldiers, leaving him severely wounded before being rushed to the ELWA Hospital for prompt medical treatment.

This behavior by AFL personnel, acting independently and without the authorization of the AFL High Command, is troubling and necessitated prompt intervention, as demonstrated by the arrival of senior officers from both the AFL and the LNP to de-escalate the situation and restore

The AFL High Command calls for calm and assures the public that it is in active communication with national security authorities to maintain control over the situation

In the meantime, an immediate investigation has been launched by the Provost Marshall and the Legal Affairs Unit of the AFL to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

By Prince Saah

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *