Ambushed By Police Flying Squad

Like most kids, when I was growing up, I had two ‘law enforcement officers’ to make sure I towed the line. Law Enforcement Officers were my parents whom I kept busy as a youngster. As I progressed into my teens, I threw them into a world of turmoil and anguish that I was often ‘severely corrected’ if you get my drift. However, whenever they felt the need to correct me, there was never a moment that they felt the need to kill me.

Over the past 20 years or so, I have had to deal with a different brand Law Enforcement Officer – namely Police, Army and Special Forces Brigade who operate under a different philosophy than that of my parents because killing is a ‘correction’ they would employ if the need arose.

A couple of weeks ago, shortly after 11:00pm and barely yards from the gate to my house, a cream Toyota Corona screeches out of nowhere, blocks the road and out jump three men in jeans, T-shirts, baseball caps and wait for it, wait for it, brandishing AK-47 assault rifles and shooting at us. First instinct my friend who was driving and I had was that thugs are after our ride. So we hit reverse and as the hail of bullets rained on us. Worse, behind us were two more men with pistols who were also shooting at us. With no escape route, we eventually rammed into a tree which, deployed the airbags as the bullets still rained down.

Dazed, we were dragged from the car and out came the screams of: “Identify yourselves!” We did, but the would-be ‘thugs’ who claimed to be Police refused to show identification saying that: “We don’t need to.” It was only when the Police patrol pick-up turned up to cart us to Kabalagala Police station that we ascertained that they were indeed Police.

But how would one know? In their civvies, they don’t have any identification, they don’t let it be known that they are Police, they don’t have to produce any ID and the Corona car they used, bore the following number plates – NGO 89 2RSS. Is it a special Police number plate used for undercover operations?

Eventually we find out that Police had gotten a tip off – not from a reliable source but from a recently released from Luzira thug that, there was supposed to be a robbery in the area and that we happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And a detective Omodo from Kisugu Police, who after his investigations ruled that police were not at fault.

Excuse me, Police not at fault? They have to be held accountable. They did not identify themselves as Police. They were on a shoot-to-kill mission, they had no identification and they insist we were thieves in a foiled robbery attempt. The ride is currently languishing at Kabalagala Police where it has been written off.

Further, at Kabalagala Police when we tried to report a crime of: “attempted murder, malicious damage to property and grievous bodily harm”, Detective on duty simply refused.

As it stands, Police who shot at us are part of Flying Squad attached to Kisugu station and that their immediate boss, detective Omodo has exonerated them. While we made statements, that was it. No follow up and no further interviews.

In effect, what Police is boasting about, is this: “If we shoot at you by mistake and almost kill you in the process and write off your car, we are not to blame because we are above the law. Further, we will also make sure you pay for the breakdown services and any medical bills incurred!”