The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Owusu-Bempah, has cautioned students of Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School against attacking or pelting police officers with stones during clashes and other incidents of unrest.
The Police Commander said attacking a police officer constitutes a criminal offence and warned that officers would take lawful measures to protect themselves if confronted with violence.
He issued the warning following clashes involving students of the two schools, which reportedly resulted in injuries and significant damage to school property.
Addressing students on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, DCOP Owusu-Bempah warned students against refusing police directives to leave the school premises or joining individuals involved in violent activities outside the schools.
“If they give the order for you to vacate the school and you decide not to vacate, or you vacate and decide to link up with some miscreants in town, those hoodlums who have been urging you to misbehave, we will look for you and treat you like a common criminal,” he said.
He expressed concern over reports that some students had been pelting police officers with stones whenever officers arrived at the schools to restore order.
“I heard that oftentimes when they come, you pelt them with stones. When I heard that, I was very upset,” he said.
DCOP Owusu-Bempah stressed that students would not be exempt from criminal liability simply because they were minors or enrolled in school.
He urged them to desist from attacking police officers, teachers and school authorities, as well as destroying public property.
The Police Commander also cautioned students against setting fire to school facilities, reminding them that the institutions existed to provide them with education and prepare them to contribute to society.
The clashes reportedly occurred in the early hours of Wednesday and left six students of Okuapeman SHS injured.
Several school facilities were also reportedly damaged or burnt, including classrooms, a Visual Arts studio and teachers’ offices.
The circumstances that triggered the initial confrontation remain unclear, while security authorities continue efforts to restore calm and prevent further disturbances at the schools.
