Police officers opened fire on a vehicle that defied orders to stop at a roadblock in Yagodamulla, Minuwangoda on Thursday, taking the car and two occupants into custody after the shooting, NewsFirst reported.
According to the police, officers manning the Minuwangoda roadblock signalled the vehicle to stop for a routine check. The driver instead attempted to drive at an officer while trying to escape, prompting the team to open fire. The car was halted shortly afterwards and both occupants were detained.
No casualties were reported by police at the time the statement was issued, and the precise condition of those in the vehicle was not disclosed. The Yagodamulla checkpoint sits on a Western Province route that has been the focus of repeated traffic and narcotics enforcement.
The incident is the latest in a string of police-shooting episodes at checkpoints and roadblocks across the country as officers move to fixed-checkpoint stops more frequently, often in connection with anti-narcotics enforcement. Police have not yet said why the vehicle was being stopped or whether the occupants were known to law enforcement before the encounter. Further investigations are continuing.
