MP Acon questions police conduct after P.5 pupil shot dead in Otuke

Otuke County Member of Parliament Julius Acon has questioned the conduct of police officers following the shooting death of a Primary Five pupil during a police patrol in Otuke District.

Acon told Parliament that the incident happened on October 23rd at around 8 p.m., when the Officer in Charge of Otuke Police Station and the GISO of Otuke Town Council were conducting a patrol.

He said the officers encountered a group of children who were seated at their home, waiting for their mother to prepare their evening meal.According to Acon, the OC reportedly instructed the GISO to fire gunshots to scare the children, but one of the bullets struck a Primary Five pupil, killing him instantly.

Acon said a postmortem examination conducted on October 24th recovered a bullet from the deceased child’s neck.

He questioned the justification for police officers resorting to gunfire against people who posed no immediate threat, arguing that firearms should only be used when circumstances warrant such action.

Meanwhile, the minister of internal affairs Professor Ephraim Kamuntu described the incident as unfortunate, saying the primary responsibility of government is to protect the lives and property of citizens.

Kamuntu assured Parliament that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and that those found responsible would be brought to justice.