MONROVIA – The advocacy group Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) is demanding the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Police Inspector General Gregory O. Coleman, following what it describes as the “cold-blooded killing” of Matthew Mulbah, a young Liberian man suffering from a mental health crisis. The group has condemned the incident as a shocking exposure of extrajudicial killings, police brutality, and abuse of authority within the Liberia National Police (LNP), stating that a family’s call for help resulted not in assistance, but in a corpse.
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, after Mulbah’s family contacted the police for assistance while he was experiencing a mental health episode at his Congo Town home. According to STAND’s account, the first team of officers arrived in the morning, broke open the door to his room, and attempted to persuade him to go for treatment at a facility on Duport Road. When he refused, the officers departed the scene peacefully.
The situation escalated hours later when a second group of officers returned with a man presented as a ‘medical doctor’ who intended to administer a sedative. A physical struggle broke out when an officer tried to restrain Mulbah, who reacted defensively by injuring the officer with a knife before retreating and locking himself inside his room. Following this, police reinforcements were summoned to the scene.
STAND reports that upon forcing entry into the house for a second time, officers discharged multiple gunshots, striking Matthew as he sought refuge in a bathroom. Eyewitness accounts and video evidence confirm that he was subsequently dragged outside while bleeding profusely and crying for help. While he was handcuffed and wounded, the man claiming to be a doctor injected him with a substance believed to be a sedative. He was then transported to the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, where STAND alleges he was abandoned in a corridor and denied critical medical attention after police falsely labeled him an “armed robber.”
This narrative directly contradicts the official account provided by Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman during a late-night podcast. IG Coleman characterized the event as “a stabbing incident involving police officers,” claiming that three officers were attacked by Matthew with a cutlass and a concealed knife and that the police acted within the LNP’s “use-of-force continuum” to “neutralize a mortal threat.” STAND forcefully rejects this, asserting that evidence shows only one officer was wounded, that no cutlass was involved, and that the firing of at least seven rounds was an excessive and unlawful use of deadly force against an unarmed, mentally ill civilian who posed no imminent threat. The group accuses the Inspector General of a deliberate attempt to cover up an extrajudicial killing, a sentiment amplified by his subsequent participation in a candlelight vigil that appeared to glorify the officers’ actions.
In a detailed legal and ethical indictment, STAND outlined multiple violations arising from the incident. The group argues that the deliberate use of lethal force violated Matthew Mulbah’s constitutional right to life and due process, grossly breached international standards that stipulate firearms should only be used as a last resort to protect life, and represented a catastrophic failure of the police’s duty of care and professional conduct in dealing with a mental health crisis. Furthermore, STAND contends that the Inspector General’s misleading statements to the public constitute a severe abuse of office and a betrayal of the transparency mandated by law.
In response to this “egregious abuse of power,” STAND has issued a firm call to action. The group demands the immediate suspension of all officers involved pending an independent investigation, a full forensic review of the shooting and the sedative injection, and a public apology from the Inspector General to Matthew’s family. Furthermore, STAND is calling for systemic reform, including the establishment of a dedicated Mental Health Response Unit within the LNP trained in crisis intervention and non-lethal methods, and independent oversight from human rights and civil society bodies to ensure justice and prevent future atrocities. The most significant demand is the immediate dismissal of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, whom they hold ultimately responsible for the operational failures and the subsequent defense of his officers’ actions.
The statement concluded with a pointed political ultimatum, referencing the upcoming December 17 anniversary: “Meanwhile, December 17 is coming– Lead or LEAVE. Enough is Enough!” This allusion to a pivotal date in Liberia’s history signals the group’s intent to channel public outrage over this incident into a broader challenge for accountability and reform.
