25 Sep 2020

Police in Tonota are investigating an incident in which a Shashe River School form five pupil was badly hit with a softball bat on the head while trying to intervene during a gang fight.

Tonota Police Station Commander Superintendent Oteng Ngada told BOPA in an interview on Friday,, that that they received a report from school management about a gang fight that erupted between Shashe River School pupils and some boys from the community on Monday this week.

Supt Ngada said the two gangs were said to be fighting over a cellphone belonging to one of the Shashe River School pupils, which was said to have been stolen the previous week.

He said that the owner of the stolen phone had approached the suspect several times demanding his phone back but the suspect became aggressive.

The alleged owner of the phone is said to have resolved to involve his friends to help him to forcefully get the phone back.

The suspect is also said to have brought his friends along on Monday, which resulted in an ugly fight.

Supt Ngada said that during the fight, a form-five male pupil tried to settle the fight, but was hit on the head with a softball bat.

“The victim was hit and left unconscious on the ground for some time but he woke up later and was rushed to the clinic where he got treated and discharged,” he said.

He further said that the victim was currently home and recovering while the police were still searching for the perpetrator.

Supt Ngada said the community was concerned about school fights and that the police had intensified patrols to curb such incidents.

He said the police had on previous occasions sensitised pupils about the consequences of untoward behavior including gang fights, drugs and alcohol abuse and warned them on how having a criminal record could affect one’s future life.

Currently, he said that the police had collaborated with the school management and guidance and counselling teachers to curb such behaviors within schools.

Supt Ngada therefore urged the school community to keep in touch with the police and to be proactive in reporting the perpetrators. Ends