Liberia: EPS Agent Patrick Kollie Charged for "Murder"

The Liberia National Police has charged forwarded to court for alleged murder Patrick Kollie, who shot and killed an unarmed civilian on July 4. 

Kollie, 27, is a resident of the Police Academy Community and an employee of the Executive Protective Service (EPS), specifically assigned to the security detail of National Port Authority Managing Director, Bill Twehway. 

The police, in a statement, said that during the preliminary investigation, it was established that while suspect Kollie was on his way to his Police Academy residence, "he came across some alleged attackers who tried to molest him, thereby impeding his movement."

"The investigation further revealed that while the argument was ongoing between the suspect and the alleged attackers, Kollie went into his parked vehicle and took his assigned arm, a 9MM Norinco pistol with serial number LR/EPS/409730767."

"Accordingly, the investigation established that when the alleged aggressors realized that suspect Kollie was in possession of firearm, they took to their heels and passed by an approaching motorbike."

The investigation, according to the police, established that while the alleged Criminals were passing by an approaching motorbike, suspect Kollie fired a round behind the aggressors, thus hitting deceased Valentine Johnson above his left eye and exited behind his head leaving him unconscious and subsequently pronounced dead by the doctor on call at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center.

Additionally, it was revealed that when Kollie realized that when he hit the wrong person, he immediately got into his vehicle and absconded the scene.

"Suspect Kollie admitted discharging his firearm and further said that he was attacked by a group of Criminals who wanted to take his assigned arm.  He added that in the process, the arm got discharged thereby hitting a civilian who was riding on an approaching motorbike."

The investigation also established that suspect Kollie's action clearly shows that he was in flagrant violation of rule 4 of the basic firearm cardinal rule that states, "Beware of your target and what is beyond your target."

"In view of the foregoing and circumstances surrounding the death of Johnson, coupled with physical evidence (9mm Norinco pistol) adduced as well as eye witnesses accounts, the investigation has resolved to charge suspect Kollie with the crime of Murder a violation of Chapter 14, section 14.1 of the penal code of the Republic of Liberia, and forwarded to court for prosecution."