By: Frank P. Martin
MONROVIA: The Monrovia City Court Magistrate, Ben Barco, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, sentenced defendant Jerome Tokpah, an officer of the Liberia National Police (LNP), to the Monrovia Central Prison for Aggravated Assault and Attempted Murder.
Defendant Jerome Tokpah was charged by Investigators of the LNP after he allegedly committed the Aggravated Assault and Attempted Murder against Courage Tarr, a resident of Caldwell Township.
According to the police charge sheet, preliminary investigation conducted to establish facts and circumstances indicate that Mr. Eric Tarr acquired one lot of land in the Caldwell Township, Taylor Mayor Community, Montserrado County.
The land contains two houses where he (Eric) and his family live, while defendant Jerome Tokpah of LNP had a corner stone with Mr. Eric Tarr.
The LNP Investigation uncovered that on Saturday morning, May 11, 2024, Mr. Eric Tarr was in his yard doing some cleaning up activities while defendant Jerome Tokpah was also in his yard brushing.
The investigation established that when LNP Officer Jerome Tokpah saw Mr. Eric Tarr cleaning up his place, he (Jerome), started singing a song, titled: “Rebel In Town, Zogo in Town.”
As he (Tokpa sang the song, Tokpah was moving towards Mr. Eric Tarr, and attempted assaulting him (Eric) with a razor blade at the back of his neck.
It was at this point that Mr. Eric Tarr’s daughter, Courage Tarr, who saw the mood of defendant Jerome Tokpah coming toward her father, swiftly pushed him aside, thus preventing defendant Jerome Tokpa from wounding her father, Eric Tarr, with the razor blade.
The LNP Charged noted that in the process, Defendant Tokpah assaulted victim Courage Tarr on her forehead with the razor blade he had in his hand, which resulted to the victim sustaining serious bodily injury.
The investigation further established that defendant Tokpah who is an LNP officer and Mr. Eric Tarr have been having some disputes over Land for more than a year now.
“Having thoroughly assessed the crime scene, physically examined the injuries sustained by victim Courage Tarr, the various testimonies from Interviews conducted, the investigation has established the following facts to wit:
That, the crimes of Aggravated Assault and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder was committed against victim Courage Tarr when defendant Jerome Tokpah had gone to attack Mr. Eric Tarr while he was cleaning up his yard on Saturday morning May 11, 2024 @ 7am;
That, on Saturday May 11, 2024 defendant Jerome Tokpah, with the intention to execute his criminal actions on Mr. Eric Tarr, instead, assaulted victim Courage Tarr, daughter of Mr. Eric Tarr, who tried and prevented her father Mr. Eric Tarr from being wounded by defendant Jerome Tokpah;
That, after the commission of the act, defendant Jerome Tokpah ran into his house, and when he came out of his house, he was bleeding from his head, and subsequently alleged that he was assaulted by victim’s Courage Tarr’s father, Mr. Eric Tarr;
That, the allegation made by defendant Jerome Tokpah against the victim’s father, Mr. Eric Tarr, was false and misleading.
However the LNP Investigators charged LNP Officer JeromeTokpah with the crime of Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder and Aggravated Assault .
“In view of the foregoing facts and circumstances, coupled with pictorial and physical evidence produced, as well as witnesses’ testimonies, the investigation has resolved to charge Defendant Jerome Tokpah with the Crimes Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder and Aggravated Assault in contravention of chapter 10 sections 10.1, chapter 14; section 14.20 of the Revised Penal Code to be forwarded to court for prosecution.
