Killer cop jailed for life

By HEZRON KISING
A JUDGE has sentenced a policeman to life imprisonment for shooting dead a suspect, saying it was a “merciless and unnecessary killing of a harmless man”.
National Court judge George Manuhu sentenced Fredy Lisa to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Seven weeks were deducted for the time Lisa had spent in custody.
Justice Manuhu warned police officers to stop shooting defenceless people.
“This sentence will send a message to all police officers that you cannot just shoot a defenceless, harmless suspect at point-blank range,” he said.
“This was a merciless and unnecessary killing of a harmless man.”
Lisa, based in the National Capital District, was convicted of the murder of Martin Pos in 2013.
Justice Manuhu said there had been a lot of police brutality cases reported around the country.
“A lot of good policemen are in prison for just one stupid thing they did,” he said.
The court was told that Lisa and other police officers from the Gordon police station were on patrol in Wild Life and Erima on Nov 21, 2013, when they spotted Pos at Erima picking up three men in a car. He then drove off in a manner that raised the officers’ suspicion.
The officers followed the car. When Pos saw the officers following them, he sped off towards 6-Mile. The officers gave chase and shot the left tyre, forcing the car into a drain.
Lisa and another officer then fired shots in the direction of the vehicle while it was in the drain. Pos was shot on the head and neck, killing him instantly.
The court heard that bullets recovered from Pos’ body matched the gun Lisa was using at the time – a pump-action shotgun.
Two guns were found in Pos’ car.
The lawyer representing Lisa had filed a submission for a non-custodial sentence. But Justice Manuhu found no supportive precedent. He considered the lawyer’s submission an abuse of the process of justice.