DON’T PULL YOUR GUN
…unless you intend to shoot, Sean Tembo schools ‘dangerous’ cops
By Mast Reporter
PATRIOTS for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Tembo has advised the police to strictly observe the regulations on the handling of fire arms for their own safety and that of the public.
Tembo has strongly condemned the conduct of the police officers who on Friday violently seized Facebook influencer Elias Musyani at the Lusaka Magistrates Courts complex shortly after he had appeared in court over a cyber bullying charge.
He wondered why one of the officers pulled out a handgun and dangerously kept his finger on the trigger in such a crowded place when the suspect was already handcuffed and was not violent.
“As a former police officer, l was totally shocked with the display of unprofessionalism by the police officers that went to arrest one Elias Musyani at the Lusaka Magistrates Court[s] complex yesterday [Friday] for the alleged offence of cyber bullying, a non-violent white-collar offence,” Tembo said in a statement posted on his Facebook page yesterday.
He said when the officers first approached Musyani, they were all in plain clothes.
Tembo explained that unless the regulations had changed, when officers went to execute a public operation, at least one of them was required to be in full police uniform.
“Then l noticed that, way after the alleged suspect was apprehended and put in handcuffs, one of the police officers involved in the arrest decided to pull out his side arm, and kept his finger on the trigger throughout the time that the suspect was led to a waiting motor vehicle,” Tembo said. “That’s a big November Oscar [no]. I kept scratching my head and wondering what they teach these boys and girls at the Police Academy these days.”
Tembo said the most basic rule in the management of a firearm was never pull it out “unless you’re ready to use it”.
“These regulations are put there for good reason, and some officers might not appreciate them until one day, something unfortunate happens such as getting beaten up by the public after being mistaken for thieves,” he warned.
Tembo said the moment an officer pulled out a firearm and was not ready to open fire, then he or she became vulnerable.
“That momentary indecision of whether to open fire or not, when you have already drawn your weapon, can be fatal to you. Do the debate in your mind while the firearm is still holstered, and only pull it out once you have decided that you’re ready to open fire,” he said.
“So, in that particular instance, why did the officer find it necessary to pull out his side arm while leading a handcuffed suspect? Who was he ready to shoot? A handcuffed suspect?”
Tembo said the issue of trigger discipline was a whole topic which the police command should re-orient the officers on.
“The rule is simple; keep your finger off the trigger. Only put your finger on the trigger when you are opening fire. This rule might sound trivial but it’s critical, and any law enforcement agent or military personnel worth their salt will tell you that it is of paramount importance,” he said.
“It is designed to protect both yourself and the people around you. One might not appreciate this rule until they find themselves being paraded in a courtroom for murder, because of unintentional shooting.”
Tembo said he felt that the entire team that was involved in the arrest of Musyani should be taken for re-training.
“For their own good and for the good of the public. Oh maybe I’m just an old-fashioned former police officer who believes in the rules too much?”
Pictures and videos of the arrest of Musyani have gone viral on Facebook and TikTok.
