Policeman shoots female university student in case of mistaken identity

May 21, 2023

Preliminary police investigations indicated that the police officer who was later arrested said he noticed someone attempting to open his main door.  

Policeman shoots female university student in case of mistaken identity

Eddie Ssejjoba
Journalist @New Vision

A female student at Uganda Christian University in Mukono was Saturday early morning rushed to Kawolo Hospital in critical condition after she was allegedly shot at by a police officer.

The policeman is said to have mistaken the student for a thief after she allegedly attempted to open his door on her return from an outing.   

It is alleged that Natasha Naggayi, 21, a resident in Nabuti Village, Mukono Central Division was shot at and critically injured by Number T/460 ASP Dismass Tebangole, 57.

He is attached to the Counter Terrorism Police and working in the Very Important Police Protection Unit who is a resident of Nabuti Village, Mukono Central Division. 

 According to a statement released by Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesman, the incident occurred at about 1:00am but the police received a distress call  at approximately 4:15 a.m. regarding the shooting incident.  

Preliminary police investigations indicated that the police officer who was later arrested said he noticed someone attempting to open his main door.  

“Suspecting a thief, the suspect peeped through the window glass and observed a person using a key to open the door. In a state of suspicion, he discharged three live bullets through the window glass, hitting Naggayi on the right chest, near the lower armpit,” a statement reads.  

Owoyesigyire says the student fell down and cried out for help, asserting that she was not a thief.  

It is at this point that she specifically mentioned the name Ashiraf Bandishe, one of the tenants residing in another room near the scene where she was shot. 

The police indicated that the caretaker of the houses, Hannington Ssengendo along with other neighbors, responded to the scene to help the injured student.  

Later, the suspect emerged from his house, but it was later established that Naggayi had instead opened the wrong door.  

Owoyesigyire said that the Police had discovered that she had visited her boyfriend Bandishe and the two moved out together in the evening for leisure. But is said Naggayi got tired and wanted to return home while the boyfriend wanted to continue enjoying with the colleagues. 

It is at this point that he instead handed her the keys and asked her to return home and sleep, promising to follow later.  

“However, she mistakenly attempted to open the police officer’s room, which is opposite Bandishe’s, leading to the unfortunate shooting incident,” the statement reads. 

The police team later reached the scene at about 4:14am and recovered from the police officer a pistol with 12 rounds of live ammunition,   

 The victim was transported in critical condition to Kawolo Hospital for immediate medical attention.   

“Ongoing inquiries are being conducted to gather all pertinent details related to the shooting,” Owoyesigyire stated. 

It was later established that the victim’s parents followed her to Kawolo Hospital and asked to transfer her to Kampala after failing to get help since the hospital does not have a scanner that was needed before surgery to establish whether the bullet was still stuck in the shoulder.

 

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