Three policemen fled for their lives when a man wielding two knives slit the throat of a fourth policeman on Wednesday.
Constable Moro Zakaria, whose throat was slashed in Al Qaeda-style and the three cowardly policemen were responding to a distressed call from the operator of De Gray Spot, Madam Bertha De Gray at Asylum Down when the unfortunate incident occurred.
According to eye witnesses Yaw Dotse, the assailant arrived at the spot in the blazing sun wielding two knives and threatening to kill one of the sons of Madam De Gray, who made a distressed call to the police.
The eyewitnesses said the four policemen were probably on an errand and when the distressed call came they decided to act on the spur of the moment. At the scene, Dotse who is believed to be mentally deranged was seen dangerously wielding two knives.
Constable Moro who had a pistol on him stepped forward to persuade Dotse to hand over his knives to him. In the process Dotse rushed on Moro, who after taking a few steps backwards lost balance and fell heavily with his pistol flying in the opposite direction. Dotse then took advantage of Mora's weakened position and drove one of the knives into the constable's neck.
The eyewitness said when the other three policemen saw their colleague in that helpless situation; they outpaced each other in an Olympics styled 100 metres final race in a bid to escape from Dotse's knives. Moro was pronounced dead on arrival at the Police Hospital.
Dotse also took to his heels after realizing that the other three Police Officers had abandoned their colleague in the pool of blood. He took refuge in his house at Kokomlemle.
Friends of the alleged killer fought back attempts by some public-spirited people to arrest him at his Kokomlemle base. It took reinforcement from the Nima Divisional Police Station to arrest him.
In an interview with Gladys Agba, a senior sister of the alleged killer, she said her brother has been mentally sick for the past two years and has since been undergoing treatment at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
Questioned whether her brother was admitted at the hospital she answered in the negative but said he was only given some medicine and discharged from the hospital and therefore begged the police to be lenient with the brother.
When this paper made efforts to talk to Dotse at the cells he pleaded with these reporters to beg the police not to harm him although he accepted the fact that he slashed the throat of the police officer.
A close friend to the late Police Officer told this paper that Constable Imoro had a fiancee who is currently pregnant and had made plans to go and perform all necessary marriage rites after her safe delivery.
Some curious residents who besieged the station expressed shock at the behavior of the three Police Officers who bolted when their colleague was under attack but were quick to say that the inability of late Moro to use his gun was because of recent public outcry against indiscriminate shooting by the police.
In an interview with Junior Police Officers at the station they expressed shock at the death of the Police Officer in the course of duty and called on the public to appreciate the good work of the police instead of attacking them in the discharge of their legally mandated duties.
