By Spy Uganda
The police in Mayuge registered a very serious incident of violence against police officers on duty.
The incident arose from a case of aggravated robbery, of a boat engine that belonged to Agodo Zakaria Osako which occurred on 17.07.2021, at Nduwa Landing Site, in Mayuge district. It was robbed from two office workers by three men, armed with pangas, according to Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga.
He adds that as a result, a search was conducted till 06.11.2021 when marine officers recovered the engine from a one Baligeya in Dolwe Island in Namayingo district. The suspect revealed that Kapere Maka Umar was the one who sold it to him.
The OC police post in Musubi Landing Site was alerted, and on the 7.11.2021 at around 9:25am, two police officers attached to Musubi Police Post, at Musubi Landing Site, Muyanzi village, Bukaboli Sub-county in Mayuge district, went out to trace for the suspect.
The two officers included; CPL Wandyete Patrick, the OC post, and PC Kataba Abubakar.
Enanga says they arrested the suspect identified as Kapere Maka Umar, a 32-year-old fisherman connected to the theft of the boat engine but in the process of cuffing him, they faced resistance after the suspect turned violent and pounced on the police gun.
”A physical altercation ensued and the officer was wrestled to the ground. His brother called Kapere Bampalana also attacked PC Kataba and tried to disarm him as well,” says Enanga.
He adds that during the scuffle, CPL Wandyete fired several bullets, injuring the leg of the suspect. In the process, he also injured both his legs, the hand and of the complainant Osako, and the brother of the main suspect too. Unfortunately, the suspect Kapere Maka Umar, succumbed to the injuries at the scene.
The other victims were rushed to Kigandalo Health Centre IV. However, Kapere was transferred to Jinja Main Hospital in critical condition, while the OC Post was rushed to Buluba Hospital for further treatment.
This is the second such kind of violent attack on police officers within the same region. ”Such attacks on police officers are becoming common especially in high crime areas. Our officers are also accustomed to unpredictable behavior when dealing with intoxicated people using drugs or alcohol and those with mental health concerns,” adds Enanga.
Police say although they do not have a shoot-to-kill policy, their officers are trained on how to respond to someone attempting to disarm them in an aggressive manner, as a deadly threat.
Enanga adds that in this very respect, the suspects posed a very serious danger, which led to the OC post-firing bullets, in self-defense and also saving the police gun.
”Our enforcement teams restored sanity in the area and transported victims to the hospital. We are also conducting community mobilization and sensitization drives, to help address such acts of impunity, especially where the suspects are aggressive and combative,” says Enanga adding;
”We want to remind the public that police officers may use a firearm against persons charged with or convicted of a felony who escapes from lawful custody; a person who through force, rescues another person from lawful custody; or a person who through force, prevents the lawful arrest of himself or herself or of any other person, etc.”
