Armed robbery suspect dies after police shooting

A SUSPECT has died from his injuries at the Kimbe General Hospital after being shot by police during an armed robbery in West New Britain, provincial police commander Chief Insp John Vosivai says.
Chief Insp John Vosivai said the suspect died about four days later after being admitted to the hospital when he was shot at Gigo-Laleki settlement on July 18 while escaping from the police in a bus loaded with passengers.
“He (deceased) was involved with eight other suspects who robbed a Chinese-owned shop at Kisere and they escaped using the passengers as human shields,” he said.
Chief Insp Vosivai said yesterday that another suspect had been arrested at Sarakolok while the rest were still at large.
He said the robbers were armed with homemade guns and removed three cash tills and some mobile phones before escaping in a PMV that had passengers that were used as human shields.
“A lone policeman pursued them, but was unable to shoot because of the passengers in the PMV,” he said.
“The policeman alerted members of the mobile squad and they pursued the PMV to Gigo-Laleki settlement where the PMV was abandoned and the suspects attempted to escape.
“Mobile squad officers shot and wounded the suspect and brought him to the hospital.”
Chief Insp Vosivai said other suspects had been wounded as they attempted to escape.
He said the injured suspects were helped by another wanted man who tried to get medical supplies from the hospital two days after the incident on July 20.
“At about 9pm, a suspect allegedly involved in the killing of San Remo night club owner late Jeremy Poh in December 2019, came to the hospital to get medicines for the other suspects; fortunately, quick action by a police officer on guard at the hospital resulted in the capture of the suspect who was detained at the Kimbe Police Station,” he said.