TRAGEDY AT POLICE HQ
….elite cop ballistics expert dies after hours of tense stand-off
TRAGEDY AT POLICE HQ
….elite cop ballistics expert dies after hours of tense stand-off
By DAVID KANDUZA
A CHILLING silence fell over the Zambia Police Service headquarters last night after a high-ranking Ballistics expert took his own life inside his office, bringing a desperate, hours-long standoff with his own colleagues to a tragic end.
Assistant Superintendent Daniel Banda, 53, was confirmed dead on Monday night, September 14, 2026, following a tense four-hour standoff that gripped the nation’s police command center.
The incident began at approximately 17:00 hours when Mr Banda, a veteran attached to the specialised Ballistics Unit, locked himself inside his office.
Armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and a pistol, the senior officer threatened to end his life, sending shockwaves through the headquarters.
For nearly four hours, negotiators and fellow officers stood outside the barricaded door, launching appeals to convince Mr Banda to lay down his weapons.
The difficult negotiations stretched into the night but were ultimately unsuccessful.
At exactly 20:45 hours, the standoff was shattered by a single firearm, inflicting a fatal injury upon himself.
Officers breached the room immediately after the blast, but it was too late.
The body of the Assistant Superintendent had since been moved to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Mortuary, where it awaits a postmortem examination.
As a somber cloud hangs over the police headquarters, officials have launched a comprehensive investigation to uncover what drove the ballistics specialist to this tragic outcome.
Police have promised to release more details as the investigation unfolds.