Death spurs protest
PEOPLE from the Eastern Highlands compound, Saraga, 6-Mile in Port Moresby say they staged a protest on Sunday after the death of a man from their community allegedly at the hands of police.
But according to police, the deceased was one of three suspects apprehended last Wednesday after a carjacking at 6-Mile.
Three accomplices escaped.
Acting NCD Met Supt Christopher Tamari said the carjacking led to the residents in the area assisting police to capture the three suspects including the youth who died.
Tamari said the deceased was arrested for armed robbery and detained at 6-Mile police station with two of his accomplices.
He was later taken to the hospital where he died on Saturday.
“Police responded to a car robbery and picked up three suspects including the deceased while three others fled and are still at large.
“The St John Ambulance workers were called into the 6-Mile police station to transport the injured suspect to the hospital on Friday.
“He died the next day,” Tamari said.
Relatives took the body from the hospital and placed it at the roundabout on Sunday and demanded that police address their grievances. The situation turned rowdy when the crowd began pelting police with projectiles.
Shots were fired into the air to disperse the mob.
Tamari said they were monitoring the situation.
However, locals from the Eastern Highlands Compound told The National on Sunday that they had only staged a peaceful protest march to the police station to leave the body of the youth who they claimed had died as result of being beaten by police.
Timothy Teni said that this was the second time a young man from their community died as a result of the injuries sustained while in police custody. “This young boy, is not an armed robber, he came down from Goroka just last week.
“And on Thursday afternoon he was walking home with his cousins when police stopped them on the side of the road, questioned them and started beating them up,” he said.
“He passed away on Saturday morning, and this is the second time, another men in our community also died from injuries he sustained when in police custody,” he said. Teni said they painted themselves in black and carried the body to the police station in protest.
14 comments
Unprofessional police. Government should look into the situation and deal with the police officers.
Another Death at the hands of Police and Acting NCD Met Supt Tamari can really defend his men….
Another death in police custody. When will it end?
I don’t think the people (in this case EHP people of 6-mile) would go to the length of staging such protests unless they are sure of the innocence of that youth who may have died due to police beating. They must request a full scale investigation on this case to proof the youth’s innocence and hold those responsible for taking his life without justification so that they can be held to account!
I don’t think the people (in this case EHP people of 6-mile) would go to the length of staging such protests unless they are sure of the innocence of that youth who may have died due to police beating. They must request a full scale investigation on this case to prove the youth’s innocence and hold those responsible for taking his life without justification so that they can be held to account!
Police brutality occurs every where, every day. Sue the department!
We only heard that police took them (Criminals). After taking them, what they did to them was not usually reported to their bosses and so was not released to the media. They told us not to take the Laws into our own hands yet, they bit us up as if they are above the law. They take advantage of the issued Gun and uniform to bit us as they wish. They don’t even care weather we’ll die or not. They are too personal instead of being rational. They act as tugs and raid our trade stores, homes and streets. They beat us and dump us into the pits. They even break our teethes. The media doesn’t report that side of the story. They Act as if they are clean corps. They support their colleague even if they are wrong by law. Police stations are no more safe place to run too. I would rather run home to my home and tribesman rather than police.
spot on Brother…
PNG police is good in beating up people, good is shooting, good in looting, good in lying, good in intimidating. They are just like criminals. Only difference is they wear uniforms.
Police Brutality yet again and now we have the Acting NCD Met Supt Tamari. trying to defend his men.
locals clearly state the victim just flew in last week from EHP and Acting NCD Met Supt Tamari says the victim was a suspect handed to the police by the locals and in another line of the same story says he was picked up by Police as a suspect for a armed robbery…..So the bottom line is there is no reason for violence at the apprehension so clearly the victims died at the hands of the police whilst in custody and that should be investigated.
Acting NCD Met Supt Tamari should admit the fact that either way his men have to be investigated and dealt with as a life has been lost whether innocent or not.
Why are Police beating to death innocents youths & letting other cold blooded murderous walk out unharmed.
This is not Law & order where is justice in such situations
STOP POLICE BRUTALITY IN PNG!
Look into rog Police because simply the recruit is the main culprit of all this happings so please Police DPT recruit from the classrooms of grade 12 after EXAM every year so that referance will be their School and Teacher’s in order to get right honest young officer’s raghter then whom you known ?.
Where is PMJM and his government? Can the government look into this matter begin to address the roots of police brutality and lawlessness in the cities and towns. This country and government is doing little to restore dignity of our people and help them to remain back in their local communities and create wealth for themselves and their families. This is the only way we can put an end to police brutality and lawlessness.
The police are sayng the young man who died was a suspect of car jacking. If so, the relatives should go to the local police station and ask for records of car jacking complaints and who exactly the car was hijacked from. Seems like the police are makng their stories up to cover up. Follow up and see if they are telling the truth or not.
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