By Lincoln G. Peters
MONROVIA, July 28, 2026 — Retired Marshal of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Brig. Gen. Amos B.K. Dickson, has described the execution of a court-ordered eviction along the Jamaica Road-Japan Freeway corridor as poorly coordinated and dangerous, calling for an investigation after he sustained serious injuries during the operation.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Kebbah, the 72-year-old former judicial officer said he suffered severe head injuries requiring nearly 19 stitches when his vehicle came under attack during clashes that erupted as authorities enforced an eviction order near the Battery Factory on the Japan Freeway.
Dickson said he was on his routine morning trip to supervise renovation work at his school when he unknowingly drove into the area where the eviction was being carried out.
“There were no warning signs, no roadblocks, no public announcement that the road was closed because of an eviction. We simply drove into the area, and suddenly stones and bottles started flying everywhere,” he said.
According to Dickson, his vehicle became trapped in traffic as panic spread, leaving motorists unable to escape the violence.
He said his daughter was traveling with him at the time. Concerned for her safety, he instructed her to leave the vehicle while he remained behind to prevent it from being stolen or vandalized.
“I told my daughter to leave because I didn’t want to abandon my vehicle. But when she saw blood running from my head, she came back. She was the one who rescued me. Despite the presence of security officers at the scene, none came to assist me. The police officers were standing around, yet nobody came to help me while I was bleeding. My daughter was the only person who came to my rescue. I survived by God’s grace,” Dickson said.
While acknowledging that court orders must be enforced, Dickson criticized the manner in which the eviction was executed, arguing that the operation unnecessarily exposed innocent members of the public to danger.
“No one is saying the government should not carry out eviction orders. The issue is how they are enforced. If the government knows an eviction will take place in a certain area, then announce it. Tell people not to use that road. Divert traffic. Don’t allow innocent citizens to drive into danger,” he said.
He urged authorities to provide advance public notice and implement traffic control measures before conducting large-scale enforcement operations, saying such precautions could have prevented the violence that left motorists caught between law enforcement officers and protesting residents.
Dickson also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the operation, including the absence of adequate traffic management and the response of security personnel to injured civilians.
