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| - Fact Check: This Ugandan cop was NOT attacking reporters with a catapult for asking irrelevant questions
An image of a Ugandan police spokesperson aiming a slingshot has gone viral with the claim that he was hitting a reporter for asking "irrelevant questions." The India Today Anti-Fake News War room ( AFWA) has found this claim to be false.
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India Today Fact Check
In 2021, the Ugandan police seized a consignment of catapults that were supposedly meant to be used as weapons. During a press conference, Fred Enanga, a police spokesperson, demonstrated how they were used. He did not attack reporters.
An image of a man in a police uniform aiming a slingshot has gone viral with the claim that this was the Uganda police spokesperson hitting a reporter for asking "irrelevant questions."
Many on Facebook and Twitter shared this image with the caption, "Newly appointed Uganda police spokesperson hit a reporter with a catapult for asking irrelevant questions."
The India Today Anti-Fake News War room ( AFWA) found that this claim was false. In 2021, Ugandan policemen seized a shipment of catapults. During the ensuing press conference, Fred Enanga, a police spokesperson, demonstrated how they were used.
The viral posts are archived here and here.
AFWA probe
With the help of a keyword search, we found the original video of the Uganda police press conference uploaded to the YouTube channel of UBC Television Uganda on April 13, 2021. As per the details given alongside, Uganda cops were investigating a criminal gang that was allegedly "trading terror activities using catapults to destabilize the country."
While addressing the media during a weekly brief, a police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, said suspects were apprehended in the matter and the police were trying to look for the rest of the gang members.
In the YouTube video, we can see the police officers demonstrating to the reporters present during the media briefing the capabilities of the slingshots.
This incident was reported by several news outlets in 2021.
Enanga, during the briefing, said that the catapults or slingshots were “capable of firing metallic projectiles or bearings,” which made them deadly, “once possessed and used by the wrong elements.”
Thus, we can conclude that the viral posts falsely claimed the policeman was attacking reporters for supposedly asking irrelevant questions.
(With input from Yash Mittal)
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