A police driver who knocked down an unidentified man on the roadside will be suspended together with the commander of the patrol vehicle.
On or around July 12 and 13, a police pick up truck was captured by a journalist on video, knocking down an unidentified man who was in a procession of supporters of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye.
‘We do admit the alleged actions by the police driver in the footage are concerning and highly regrettable by the management. As a result, the Professional Standards Unit (PSU(, after reviewing the footage, is working hard to identify the victim, the police pick-up, its driver and the car commander which officers will have to be suspended from operational duties, pending outcome of the investigations…’ police spokesperson Fred Enanga wrote in a communiqué.
According to Enanga, due to the negative publicity generated by police ‘brutality’ over the past one month, the institution has stepped up its public order policing by engaging its officers on the ‘use of minimum force’. He, however, added that the gesture should not be misinterpreted by the populace to engage in disrupting police duties.
‘Although many questions have been asked about our policing and accountability have been asked in the last one month, we highly encourage the filming and release of videos on sensitive police related incidents, as a very important step in in promoting transparency in the course of our duties, provided it does not interfere with a police officer on duty…’ Mr Enanga said.
Of recent the police has come under severe criticism for beating peaceful citizens, and currently about 10 senior officers are facing disciplinary action.
