A police officer attached to Nebbi Central Police Station has been arrested after allegedly shooting dead a fellow officer and injuring four civilians during an operation in Nebbi Municipality, Nebbi District.
The incident happened on Saturday evening as police attempted to arrest a suspect in Kasuku Cell, Nyacara Ward, Abindu Division. The deceased has been identified as PC Joseph Olupot, who was also attached to Nebbi Central Police Station.
PC Olupot died shortly after being rushed to Nebbi General Hospital. The injured civilians were identified as Charles Okecha, 44, Irene Pimar, 32, Joy Epifania, and Charles Oroch, 52.
West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson SSP Josephine Angucia identified the suspect as PC Sam Okello, force number 78710. She said PC Okello had gone with PC Olupot to arrest Robert Ocircan, who was accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
According to police, the officers had booked out at 6:10pm to arrest Ocircan after his girlfriend, Praise Atuhaire, 25, a businesswoman from Mutungo Zone 3 in Nakawa Division, reported a case at Nebbi Central Police Station.
Police said Ms Atuhaire had travelled to Nebbi to visit her boyfriend, and the two had reportedly spent the night together before a misunderstanding arose.
SSP Angucia said the arrest operation turned violent after community members objected to the suspect’s arrest and began throwing stones at the officers.
“The officers later booked out for arrest at 6:10 pm, and upon arresting him, the community members started throwing stones at the officers,” SSP Angucia said.
She added: “PC Okello responded by shooting and in the process, he shot at his colleague PC Olupot Joseph and four other civilians.”
The victims were taken to Nebbi General Hospital for treatment, but PC Olupot was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
SSP Angucia said police have opened a general inquiry into the incident. She said witness statements have been recorded, the firearm used in the shooting was recovered and exhibited, and the suspect is being held at Nebbi Central Police Station pending further investigations.
“The scene was visited and examined to recover more evidence; the postmortem report is being retrieved from the hospital. Exhibits are being submitted for forensic examination,” SSP Angucia said.
One of the injured victims, Mr Charles Oroch, said he was shot in the thigh while trying to stop the crowd from attacking the officers.
“I thank God that children and other community members didn’t die because people heard gunshots and were running towards the direction of the bullets,” Mr Oroch said.
Ms Moureen Afoyorwoth, an eyewitness who said she is related to Robert Ocirchan, told this publication that the couple had been planning to marry, which is why Ms Atuhaire had travelled from Kampala.
She said tension between the two started after Ms Atuhaire allegedly discovered that her boyfriend wanted to rent a grass-thatched house for them.
“On Saturday morning, the disagreement started when Ocirchan welcomed her girlfriend, whom he brought home from Kampala, to get accommodated in the grass-thatched house,” she said.
Ms Afoyorwoth claimed that after Ms Atuhaire refused to enter the house, she contacted another boyfriend, allegedly a police officer, who later instructed her to leave and report the matter to police.
Mr Patrick Ogenrwoth, an uncle to Robert Ocirchan, questioned why a private relationship dispute had escalated into a police operation that left one officer dead and civilians injured.
“The two started their love affair in Kampala, and we all don’t know; why should their love affair involve police, later killing and injuring innocent civilians?” Mr Ogenrwoth said.
Police say investigations into the shooting are ongoing.