Center For Media Studies and Peace Building (Monrovia)
12 January 2009
press release
On 8 January 2009, a Liberia National Police officer physically assaulted a sports journalist who was covering a football match at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia.
Journalist Anthony Stevens was physically assaulted by the police officer after he attempted to conduct a post match interview with an official from the Bomi County football team. Bomi County had just beaten Lofa County in a National County Sports Meet football match.
According to Stevens, who reports for Star Radio, the police officer, with badge number 7, asked him to leave the perimeter of the sports field though he had identified himself as journalist who wanted to conduct an interview with team officials.
Stevens said the police officer apparently became infuriated and began to shove him when he realised he was reporting for Star Radio. Stevens sustained bodily injuries in the assault.
The same officer destroyed the digital camera of another sports journalist and colleague of Stevens who attempted to intervene.
Journalist Roland Mulbah, of "Sportsmax" newspaper, told CEMESP that the assault on his colleague seemed premeditated as he was singled out from among several other journalists who were at the perimeter of the playing field.
MORE INFORMATION:
For further information contact CEMESP, Benson & Buchanan Streets, P.O. Box 3480, Monrovia, Liberia, tel: +231 651 4357, e-mail: centerforpeacebuilding@yahoo.com, Internet: http://www.cemesp-liberia.org/
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thanks you mr man. but please i want you to know the nature of this issued, before sating what ever you have to say. pls. know that the liberian cant respect the police, kam4
I don't think the nature of the issue matters. If you have been given the responsibility to protect citizens of Liberia, you should take that very seriously. Most people (African) thinks it is ok to abuse their power. There must be legal consequences for such actions by officer and government official.
inshort what excatly er you saying there? be aware that the two of them er proffessional, so if you observed any native action, i think you will have to find out kindly instate of just doing what your heart is telling you. for now all liberian er in search of common ground i believed eventhough iam not there but am quite sure. so plsease cool down your temple and find out the cause. its. omell
inshort, what excatly er saying there? be aware that the two of them er proffessional people, so if for any reason that some native action is observed between the two men let find out the cause. am quite sure that all liberian er in search of common ground for now, i easily agreed with you, for one fact that police officer is there to protect, but if the man is highly assaulted in publicly? i advice that we go into … [Read Full Text]
It is sad to hear that there are some bad apples stay in the mist of good apples in the Liberian Police force. I hope that Police Officer be discipline. He has no bussiness being involve with a Journalist who was trying to get information. People are tire of this reoccurance of brutality by members of the L.N.P.