As Family Describes incident as Traumatic, Inhumane.
Monrovia, Liberia – The “We the People” protest on Thursday, July 17, 2025, took another turn when a Gray Taxi, licence A120547 carrying a casket was ordered to be opened by officers of the Liberia National Police for fear to be used as means of transporting weapons.
The action of the police officer unfolded as security forces were on high alert during the protest of would be violators of carrying weapons at the gathering.
The officers insisted on opening the casket to confirm what was inside, even after the family intervened right away by allowing the officers on the ground to read a death certificate and confirm with a person on the phone who was thought to be a doctor from John F. Kennedy Hospital. It was then that they discovered a dead body lying inside the casket.
After viewing what was in the coffin, the officer allowed the vehicle to depart for its destination. Speaking with reporters after the police’s action, Patrick Teton, a man believed to be a family member described the inspection as “traumatic and inhumane”
According to him, the dead body laying in the coffin was their late sister; adding that the body was picked up at the hospital and was on their way for burial; accusing the officers of gross disrespect and emotional harm. “This is our sister. We just picked up her body from the hospital and were on our way for burial preparations. The police embarrassed us and disrespected her memory,” Teton narrated.
The aggrieved family member also demanded accountability for violation of funeral ethics and basic human decency. “We’re still in disbelief. It’s something we will never forget to open a casket like that in front of strangers and cameras alike,” remarked an observer.
The officer added that the decision to halt and open the casket was motivated by worries that the coffin would be utilized as one of the means of bringing weapons to the event. He asserted that the Joint Security is not overly ambitious and they would stop at nothing to safeguard all residents, even demonstrators.
“We were performing our duties,” the officer stated. It had nothing to do with disrespect. The goal was to stop any potential disturbances or forms of protest. Although we regret that it had to occur in this manner, the situation demanded it.
