Man shot during police ops dies

By Rebecca Kuku
A MAN shot during a police operation in Tari, Hela, has died at the Mendi General Hospital.
Provincial police commander Micheal Welly said the man was shot when he attacked two police officers.
“Last Friday, two police officers were injured by a group of villagers in front of the Tari police barracks when they were walking back from town,” he said.
He said they were wounded on the arms and legs and admitted at the Tari General Hospital.
Welly said on Saturday, they told the village leaders to bring in the suspects but they did not.
“So on Sunday we went up to arrest one of the suspects when the officer shot the man,” he said.
“We are still investigating the case to determine whether the officer shot him in self-defence or not. However, the police officer was arrested and is now detained at the Tari Police station as investigation continues.”
Welly said the man was taken to the Tari General Hospital but because there was no doctor available, he was taken to the Mendi General Hospital.
He called on the man’s relatives to allow police to investigate the matter and not to take the law into their own hands.