Outrage in Narammala after man killed in ‘accidental’ police firearm discharge

A heated situation was reported in front of the Narammala police station on Thursday night (Jan.18) after a lorry driver was killed in an ‘accidental’ discharge of a police firearm.

According to Ada Derana correspondent, a group of people including the family and relatives of the deceased had staged a protest in front of the police station. The situation had gotten out of hand as they began to cause property damage.

As such, a team of Police Special Task Force (STF) had been deployed to disperse the protesters.

The lorry driver, 41, was killed on Thursday night after a police officer ‘accidentally’ discharged his firearm during a vehicle inspection. He was a resident of Maharachchimulla area.

The police media division said he had failed to comply with the signal to stop at a checkpoint in Dampelessa, Narammala. However, the police officers had been in civvies.

A Sub-Inspector (SI) and a Constable had then chased down the lorry and pulled it over for a spot inspection, during which one officer ‘accidentally’ discharged his firearm, critically wounding the driver. He was rushed to the Narammala District Hospital, however, he succumbed to injuries shortly after.
 
The two police officers involved in the incident have been arrested and investigations are underway into the incident, according to the police media division.