A routine enforcement exercise by officers of the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) erupted into chaos Wednesday morning when a confrontation between a city officer and a pregnant street seller left the woman distressed and sparked hours of unrest in the Red-Light commercial district.
By Stephen G. Fellajuah and Emmanuel Jipoh
Paynesville, December 4, 2025: According to eyewitnesses, PCC City Police were clearing goods from sidewalks to enforce city ordinances against unauthorized street selling. The operation turned violent near the Lonestar office when an officer reportedly pushed a pregnant vendor during a scuffle, causing her to collapse.
The incident triggered panic among pedestrians and marketers, bringing commercial activity to a near standstill as traffic backed up along the busy route.
It all started when an officer of the Paynesville City Police, Solomon Boakai, engaged in an altercation with an eight-month-old pregnant marketer, Fatu Brown.
Officer Brown, while apparently trying to enforce a city ordinance, allegedly slammed Fatu to the ground and beat her. The situation nearly resulted in her life being taken away.
Witnesses told the New Dawn that Officer Boakai had asked Fatu to push beyond the demarcated PCC vendor selling spot, something she had resisted, leading to Boakai’s aggravation toward the pregnant Fatu.
According to Witness Boakai, he became abusive towards the pregnant lady, and a counter-reaction from her escalated their disputes, leading to the commotions.
“We are here to ensure that what happened to this lady, who was brutally beaten, should not be repeated under any circumstances,” Rev. Stephen Divine Peter, a witness, said.
He explained that the dispute between the two broke out when Officer Boakai used aggressive force rather than professionalism in an act several marketeers described as disgruntled.
“This is Rey (Officer Boakai’s nickname), habits, assaulting, and harassing marketers. He asked this woman to leave the demarcated area belonging to another seller, and she told him they were combining to sell. Still, he insisted that Fatu leave and became insulting to her, and she responded with insults, and then he pushed her to the ground,” Mary Dweh said.
The incident occurred near the Lone Star Cell MTN sub-office in Red Light, Paynesville.
The situation enraged vendors, and bystanders who retaliated by destroying a nearby City Police booth. Many accused the officer of brutality and described the conduct as an attack on ordinary Liberians struggling to survive through petty trade.
“This has been happening often, things are not easy for us, the petit business,” said Aaron Kerkula, a resident of Pipeline, pointing to damaged goods scattered on the ground.
There is not much buying, but we must face intimidation and harassment from those officers, he added.
The incident at the Red-Light market comes barely 24 hours after President Joseph Boaskai (no relation to officer Boakai) warned security personnel here that the badges they wear are not licenses for hunting people.
Meanwhile, Abigail Tamba, from the Police Academy community, expressed similar frustrations. “When we come here, we are worrying whether they will buy from us, and at the same time worrying about City Police chasing us,” she said.
Ms Tamba continued, “When they seize your market, you have to bribe them before they return it, and sometimes, you’ll not get it back. But I think today’s action nearly caused death.”
Tension escalated further when dozens of marketers marched from Red Light to the central headquarters of the PCC, demanding justice for the pregnant woman and calling for the officer involved to be handed over to them. Protesters threw stones at the facility while chanting for accountability.
The officer, identified only as Ray by the protesters, was accused of repeatedly assaulting street vendors and extorting money during routine operations.
“When he arrests your market, he charges 500 LD, sometimes 1000 LD, before he releases it, even when we don’t make that amount from the goods,” the aggrieved crowd narrated.
In a statement issued later in the day, the Paynesville City Corporation clarified details of the incident, identifying the officer involved as Solomon Boakai. The Corporation said preliminary findings indicate that Boakai was enforcing city ordinances when a dispute with the pregnant vendor escalated into a physical altercation.
The woman was rushed to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center for medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition.
According to the PCC, Officer Boakai has been recalled from duty pending the outcome of a full investigation. The Corporation emphasized that public safety remains its priority and that all enforcement activities must adhere to professional and human-rights standards.
PCC also expressed concern for the woman’s well-being and assured the public of a “thorough and transparent investigation.”
Authorities have yet to announce whether any charges will be brought as tensions in the Red-Light area remain heated. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
