(CEMESP/IFEX) – On 8 January 2009, a Liberia National Police officer physically assaulted a sports journalist who was covering a football match at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia. Journalist Anthony Stevens was physically assaulted by the police officer after he attempted to conduct a post match interview with an official from the […]
(CEMESP/IFEX) – On 8 January 2009, a Liberia National Police officer physically assaulted a sports journalist who was covering a football match at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia.
Journalist Anthony Stevens was physically assaulted by the police officer after he attempted to conduct a post match interview with an official from the Bomi County football team. Bomi County had just beaten Lofa County in a National County Sports Meet football match.
According to Stevens, who reports for Star Radio, the police officer, with badge number 7, asked him to leave the perimeter of the sports field though he had identified himself as journalist who wanted to conduct an interview with team officials.
Stevens said the police officer apparently became infuriated and began to shove him when he realised he was reporting for Star Radio. Stevens sustained bodily injuries in the assault.
The same officer destroyed the digital camera of another sports journalist and colleague of Stevens who attempted to intervene.
Journalist Roland Mulbah, of “Sportsmax” newspaper, told CEMESP that the assault on his colleague seemed premeditated as he was singled out from among several other journalists who were at the perimeter of the playing field.
