An investigation into the 2011 election violence in Liberia has absolved President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s top police nominee, Atty. J. Nelson Freeman, of criminal behavior related to discharging his weapon.
The nomination of Atty. Freeman as Deputy Police Inspector General for Operations has faced opposition from the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Mr. Moses Acarus Gray, who recently lost his district seat in Montserrado, accused President Boakai of deliberately appointing Freeman, alleging that Freeman had shot and killed CDC members at their party headquarters.
Contrary to Gray’s accusations, an independent review panel into the 2011 election violence refrained from labeling Freeman’s actions as criminal. The panel concluded that Freeman’s discharge of his firearm violated the Liberia National Police (LNP) Firearm Policy but emphasized that his weapon was not aimed at civilians or UN peacekeeping personnel. According to the panel, the gunfire was directed towards the ground, and no injuries were reported due to the discharge.
The review panel, led by Messrs Victor E. Helb, Chairman; Atty. Edwin Barquoi, CFE, member; and Cecil B. Griffiths, member, found that Freeman, a Deputy Commissioner of Police at the time, became involved in an altercation with United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) officers, who tried to disarm him during a riot at the CDC compound. Freeman asserted that he discharged his weapon out of fear for his safety when UNMIL officers attempted to disarm him, as he believed it would expose him to greater danger within the CDC headquarters compound.
The 2011 riot saw clashes between CDC supporters and the Police Support Unit, resulting in injuries, damage to property, and tragic fatalities. In response, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had formed a Special Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the events and underlying causes of the violence.
The report emphasized that Freeman did not shoot to kill anyone during the riot, challenging previous accounts of his involvement in the killings that took place. It also shed light on the broader context of the riot, detailing the circumstances that led to the clashes, injuries, and loss of life.
The comprehensive report of the investigation serves as a critical development in the context of the nominee’s appointment, providing a clearer understanding of the events surrounding the 2011 election violence and the actions of those involved, ultimately shaping public opinion and influencing the fate of Atty. J. Nelson Freeman’s nomination.
