Pomona Farmer Shot by Plainclothes Policemen

A Pomona farmer says he thought he was being robbed when three armed men in civilian clothing showed up on his farm with guns drawn. The forty-six-year-old was resting near a shed on Thursday when the men ordered him to put his hands up. He ran, they opened fire, and he was shot in the right knee. Fearing for his life, he pulled his licensed firearm and fired back, forcing the men to retreat. It was only after the gunfire stopped, and uniformed police arrived, that he says he learned the men were police officers. Tonight, after surgery and his release from the K.H.M.H., he is demanding answers and justice for himself and his dog, which was killed during the exchange.

 

On The Phone: Pomona Farmer

“I lay down, take a lee five when I heard my dog bark. That is when I swiftly get up. When I see three armed person approaching me and demand me to put up my hand. Three armed gunmen. I hurry get up. Then I, then, then I look left, look right to see what to do because the three guns is pointed at me. They told me, “Hands up.” They did not tell them that they are police, just, “Hands up,” them told me. Then what I do now, I do a quick reaction. Then I run. I run, fear for my life. But at the same time I have my licensed firearm in my pocket, but I did not pull that because I, because of three of them. Because as a trained soldier, I cannot hit the three person because, you know, more likely they will kill me. So I run. So my mind tell me only if I get shot, then I will respond back. So which I run, then I get shot now. After when I get shot, drop on the ground, then I pull out my licensed firearm and I start to open fire at them. That is when they leave me. I want a justice because this is unfair. Unfair. They told me that after when they shoot me, then one of them come and tell me, “I’m a police.” I tell ah “Don’t come beside me because you’re the, you are the same one that shot me,” I told one of them.”

 

Shane Williams

“Have they said why they were on your farm?”

 

On The Phone: Pomona Farmer

“No, they never tell me nothing. What was the reason.”

 

Shane Williams

“What’s the condition of the dog?”

 

On the Phone: Pomona Farmer

“The dog dead. Ih dead. He got shot. They are the one that protect me. He’s, uh, everywhere I go, he’s always beside me.”

 

The cattle farmer was released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital today. No charge has been filed against him and no reason has been given for the officers’ visit to the farm.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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