One suspected robber dies in shoot-out

Page 53: Daily Graphic, July 23, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A MEMBER of a gang of suspected armed robbers was killed at dawn yesterday during a shoot-out with security personnel at Omanjor in the Ga West District.
The police later found blood-stained clothes believed to be those of another suspect,who managed to escape with his gun-shot wounds. The clothes were found about two miles away from the house that was attacked by the armed robbers.
The escapee robber was later found dead at Adabraka, ostensibly on his way to Agbogbloshie.
The deceased have been identified only as Ofori, who died at the scene of the robbery, and Teddy, whose body was picked up at Adabraka later in the day. They are both said to be ex-convicts.
Retrieved from the assailants were two pump action guns, two locally manufactured pistols, 11 rounds of ammunition and five empty shells.
Another suspect, Moses Kwame, was saved from being lynched around Dansoman when a patrol team saw residents had pounded on him with all manner of implements.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told the Daily Graphic that the police received a distress call from a Good Samaritan who had heard of the gunshots by the robbers in a nearby house and had gone out to seek assistance for the victims.
Upon that, a team of security personnel from the police and the military was despatched to the scene about 3 a.m.
She said when the police team arrived, the Good Samaritan led it to the scene.
DCOP Atinga said 20 metres to the house, one of the robbers who appeared to be keeping watch for the rest started firing at the police and alerted his colleagues that the police had arrived.
According to her, the suspected robber was shot in the arm to demobilise him from the weapon he was holding but he later died of the wound.
She said the second robber, who was shot in the thigh, opened fire when he realised that his colleague was down.
The police boss said before the police could move into the house, the other robbers scaled the wall and disappeared, explaining that because it was still dark it was difficult to trail them.
DCOP Atinga, however, said during the day when the police followed the bloodstains, they realised that one of the suspects had abandoned his clothes about two miles away from the scene.
She, therefore, appealed to health facilities to be on the look out for anyone who might go to them with suspected gunshot wounds.
She also urged members of the public to look out for persons who might go to any chemical or pharmacy shop to seek first aid.
DCOP Atinga commended the Good Samaritan who had called and met the police on their way to the crime scene.