Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Francis Nana, a commercial driver, has been ordered by the Monrovia City Court to be detained at the Monrovia Central Prison pending trial for the alleged murder of Patrolman Mark Bracewell, a 32-year-old Liberia National Police officer who was killed on September 29 during a traffic stop near the Gabriel Tucker Bridge.
On Monday, Nana appeared at the Temple of Justice with armed officers and heartbroken relatives of the deceased holding signs demanding justice in response to a murder charge under Chapter 14, Section 14.1 of Liberia’s Penal Law. “End the murder of police officers,” read one sign. It was Mark Bracewell’s job, nothing more.
Police investigations claim that Nana, operating a yellow Nissan Almera cab (license plate TX-A0022), repeatedly disobeyed instructions to halt as Bracewell and other officers were performing normal traffic and anti-contraband checks close to Slipway.
Nana apparently sped toward Bracewell as he moved to close the checkpoint gate. As the driver rushed across the bridge toward Vai Town on Bushrod Island, witnesses stated the cop jumped onto the hood of the moving vehicle.
According to investigators, Nana purposefully struck the left shoulder of the road, pushing the officer into a concrete block on the median, despite Bracewell’s entreaties. Bracewell died at the scene after suffering several cuts and catastrophic head injuries.
Amos Kumeh and Joseph Doe, two private security officers who worked nearby, reportedly caught Nana after he abandoned his car and attempted to escape.
As questioned by detectives, Nana stated that his brakes failed and that he panicked as the officer leaped on the hood. His defense was undermined when the LNP’s motor pool unit conducted a mechanical assessment and discovered that the brakes were completely operational.
Police came to the conclusion that Nana had acted willfully, carelessly, and with a profound disregard for human life. Prosecutors did not oppose to defense counsel’s motion for a preliminary examination, a procedural step ahead of trial. It is anticipated that the hearing will be scheduled shortly.
Bracewell was a committed officer who lost his life while performing his duties, and the Liberia National Police offered their sympathies to his family. As the court gets ready to begin full procedures in the case, Nana is still in pretrial detention.
Credit: Garmah Lomo
