A woman has been arrested by Police at East Legon for running over the foot of a police officer enforcing the lockdown directives as part of the COVID-19 safety laws.
According to police, the incident happened at the East Legon underbridge on Friday, 17th April, 2020.
The suspect, Trudy Boatemaa Dako, driver of a Hyundai Santafe with registration no. GE 2309-18 was signalled to stop on reaching the COVID-19 snap check under the bridge but she failed to do so and instead attempted to speed off, running over the foot of one of the officers in the process.
Police say “the suspect used abusive words on the officer” and threatened all the security men on duty that she will “deal with them” when one of the officers approached her over her conduct.
“The Police Inspector who was unable to walk by himself has since been taken to the hospital for treatment.”
The suspect has since been charged and is due for court on Monday, April 20.
Read the police’s statement below:
“Trudy Boatemaa Dako, driver of a Hyundai santafe with registration no. GE 2309-18 has been arrested today, 17th April 2020 for running over the foot of a Police Inspector who was performing duty at East Legon Under Bridge, Accra.
The suspect was signalled to stop on reaching the COVID-19 snap check at under the bridge at East Legon, but she failed to stop and instead, run over the foot of one the officers. When approached by another officer, the suspect used abusive words on the officer and all the other security personnel on duty at the checkpoint and threatened to deal with them.
The Police Inspector who was unable to walk by himself has since been taken to the hospital for treatment.
The suspect, Trudy Boatemaa Dako has been charged under the road traffic laws to be put before court on Monday.”
Policewoman suffers eye injury
This is not the first time an officer has suffered some form of injury in the discharge of their duties relating to the COVID-19 safety operations.
Last week, a 22-year-old man was arrested for spraying an unknown substance into the face of a police officer on COVID-19 lockdown enforcement duty at Abossey Okai Zongo junction when she confronted him about why he was out.
The suspect, Osman Amadu was aboard a taxi cab around the area and was stopped by the officer for interrogation about his movement but he got furious, jumped out of the car and sprayed the liquid substance in the face of the officer.
Don’t fight security officers enforcing lockdown directives – IGP
The Inspector-General of Police, James Oppong Boanuh is urging Ghanaians to refrain from fighting officers who have been deployed to enforce the partial lockdown directive within the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi metropolitan areas.
He says the officers are only carrying out their duty to ensure that all Ghanaians are safe and the country is able to win the fight against COVID-19.
“We expect everybody to cooperate with the security officers enforcing those [partial lockdown] directives. Please do not fight them [security officers]. If you get to a checkpoint and they ask you to go back, please go back. If you are not an essential worker or you don’t fall in the category that has been designated as being entitled to come out, please do not come out. Let us all together help to fight COVID-19,” he said.
The military, police, and immigration officers are collaborating to enforce a lockdown of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and Tema to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana.
Barring an extension by the president, Nana Akufo-Addo, the lockdown of Accra including Tema and Kasoa and Kumasi is due to end at 1 am on Monday, April 20, 2020.