Police officer who shot Asante Kotoko fan interdicted

The Ashanti Regional Police have interdicted the officer believed to have shot a Kumasi Asante Kotoko fan outside the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.

Chaotic scenes erupted in the Kumasi side’s Ghana Premier League game against Berekum Chelsea as Kotoko fans, incensed by the referee’s decision to send off their defender, threw water bottles and other objects onto the pitch.

As tensions rose again after Kotoko lost the game 1-0, fans outside the stadium charged at the armoured police vehicles that the referee was being escorted out of the stadium, demanding that the match official be released to them.

In an attempt to clear the crowd, rubber bullets were fired at the fans with one person, now identified as Augustine Opoku, a commercial driver in Kumasi, sustaining serious injuries.

In a statement, the police said it had commenced investigations into the incident, adding that the victim is in stable condition.

The officer who fired the weapon has also been interdicted as investigations proceed.

“The Command takes a serious view of the incident and has subsequently commenced investigations into the action of the Police Officer involved in the shooting. The officer has been interdicted on the instruction of the Regional Commander, pending investigation.”

Some police vehicles were “damaged” and some officers injured in the commotion as fans pelted stones at them, the police said in their statement.

They urged its officers and the public to maintain a high level of professionalism to ensure “the safety of persons at public events, especially at the stadium.”

Dark day in Kumasi

The match itself ended 1-0 to Chelsea, with Kofi Owusu getting the only goal of the game.

However, it wasn’t the result that was the last thing on most minds after the game.

Fans of the Porcupine Warriors were upset about a decision by the referee which resulted in defender Dacosta being sent off.

The crowd felt that the referee had erroneously given Dacosta the card as they believed the initial incident had involved another of their players, Kwame Adom and an opposing player.

The yellow card flashed by the referee to Dacosta proved costly, however, as he was already on a card.

A number of Kotoko fans started throwing items including water bottles onto the pitch.

The match was held up for a number of minutes as officials tried to regain control of the crowd, resulting in eight minutes of added time after 90 minutes had been played.

Fans, however, resumed throwing objects on the pitch, with a few managing to gain access to the inner perimeters of the stadium before being chased back by security.

Some videos showed some of the Kotoko players pleading with the fans to stop.