POLICE OFFICERS at Ashaiman, near Tema, at dawn yesterday gunned down a suspected armed robber at Christian Village, a suburb of Ashaiman, and retrieved guns from suspected criminals.
The deceased, Daniel Duodu alias Paa Dan, a 22-year-old man who was recently released from jail, was said to have opened fire on policemen, and they fired back, killing him instantly. He had reportedly gone into a house to rob.
According to the police, a search conducted on him revealed a locally manufactured pistol he used in fighting them (police), two unused and one used cartridge.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, Public Relations Officer of the Tema Police Command, who addressed journalists, explained that at about 4:00 am, police received a distress call from an informant about a robbery operation in a house behind the Tema International School (TIS).
Police, she said, rushed to the house and met the suspect there. She said the police ordered him to surrender but he refused and rather opened fire on them.
“After several orders to the person to surrender had failed, the police forced their way into the building, but the suspect sensing danger, charged on the police and opened fire on them. Police fired back and he died on the spot.
“One locally manufactured pistol which fell from his hand, was retrieved with a BB cartridge in the chamber of the pistol. Further search on him revealed two live BB cartridges.”
In another development, the patrol team of the Tema Regional Police Command on Thursday at about 1:30 am, retrieved guns and other dangerous weapons intended for robbery, from some suspects who had abandoned the items and managed to escape.
Items retrieved from a bag they abandoned included a locally made pistol, a short double barrel gun, AA cartridges, a heavy duty plier, a cardigan and a knife.
From Vincent Kubi, Ashaiman