MONROVIA – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has issued a strong call for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman and the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Matthew Mulbah, a young man living with mental illness, in Congo Town on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. The advocacy group described the killing as a “cold-blooded act” that exposes a disturbing pattern of extrajudicial killings, police brutality, and abuse of authority within the Liberia National Police (LNP).
According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy unfolded after Mulbah’s family called the police to assist in getting him to a mental health facility for treatment. The first team of officers responded in the morning, broke open his room door, and tried to persuade him to go for care. When he declined, the officers left without incident.
Later that afternoon, a second group of officers returned with a man identified as a “medical doctor” to administer a sedative. During a scuffle with an officer, Matthew defended himself with a knife, wounding the officer before retreating and locking himself inside. Reinforcements were then summoned. Upon arrival, police again forced their way into the house, firing multiple rounds as Matthew sought refuge in the bathroom.
Eyewitnesses and video evidence confirm that the officers shot Matthew several times before dragging him out while he was bleeding and crying for help. He was reportedly injected with a sedative while handcuffed and severely wounded, then taken to John F. Kennedy Medical Center, where he was abandoned in a corridor. Police allegedly labeled him an “armed robber,” leading to his denial of immediate medical attention.
In a late-night podcast, Inspector General Coleman claimed the officers were attacked by Matthew with a cutlass and a concealed knife, stating that the police acted within their “use-of-force continuum” to “neutralize a mortal threat.” However, witnesses dispute this account, saying only one officer was injured and Matthew was never armed with a cutlass. They argue that the excessive use of force against a mentally ill man who had been cornered constituted a clear case of unlawful killing.
STAND has strongly rejected Coleman’s narrative, accusing him of deliberately misleading the public and attempting to glorify the officers through a candlelight vigil held in their honor. The group argues that Coleman’s actions amount to a cover-up, violating the Liberian Constitution, international human rights standards, and the police’s own code of ethics.
“Matthew’s family sought help, not a corpse,” said Mulbah K. Morlu, Chairman of STAND, in a statement issued on October 12. “This was a cold-blooded killing of a vulnerable young man. Inspector General Coleman and the officers involved must be dismissed and prosecuted without delay. Liberia cannot continue to normalize state violence and impunity.”
Morlu further criticized the Inspector General for “defending police brutality and misinforming the public,” calling his conduct “unethical and unbecoming of the head of a national law enforcement body.” He emphasized that the killing violated Article 20(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and due process, as well as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
STAND is demanding the immediate suspension of all officers involved pending an independent investigation, a forensic review of the firearm discharges and sedative injection, and a public apology to the victim’s family. The group is also urging the government to establish a specialized Mental Health Response Unit within the LNP to handle similar incidents using non-lethal methods.
“December 17 is coming, Lead or LEAVE. Enough is enough,” Morlu declared, warning that public tolerance for abuse of power is wearing thin. STAND has called for oversight from the Independent National Commission on Human Rights and the Civil Society Council of Liberia to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice for Matthew Mulbah’s death.
