Police officer killed

By GEORGINA KOREI
A POLICEMAN was brutally murdered with a crowbar last Sunday on Woodlark Island in Milne Bay.
Sergeant Kopi Kanatupa, 48, from Rabe village in Milne Bay was killed by a suspected drug user in front of a ward councillor and another policeman.
The killing happened when police were called in to investigate an alleged drug user who had been threatening villagers for more than five months.
Milne Bay police commander Benjamin Kua, in his incident brief, detailed the attack.
Two police officers, Sgt Kanatupa and Constable Pala Kaki, were dispatched on Jan 28 to Wabununa village to investigate a certain Frexcy Timothy, suspected of cultivating, using and distributing marijuana.
Kua’s brief stated: “At about 12pm (midday), the police officers arrived at Wabununa village. The Village Court magistrate and ward councillor led the police officers to the suspect’s house.
“The suspect heard that police were coming to apprehend him so he came down from his house, armed with a crowbar about two metres long with a sharp-pointed edge.”
The police brief said: “Sgt Kanatupa was armed with a Glock pistol with six rounds in the magazine, while Const Kaki was not armed.”
Kanatupa fired two warning shots into the air and cautioned the suspect, saying: “Police! Police! You surrender now!” However, the suspect ran towards the police officers.
“Sgt Kanatupa aimed and fired more shots but the suspect kept running towards them.
“Kanatupa ran out of bullets and turned to run for cover when the suspect threw the crowbar, which entered the back of the policeman’s head and he fell to the ground.”
Police said the suspect ran back into his house and came out brandishing a bush knife. He was, however, disarmed by Const Kaki.
“Sgt Kanatupa was rushed to the hospital but died at 4.30pm. His body had been repatriated to Alotau,” Kua said.
Policemen have confiscated cannabis, a crowbar and a bush knife from the suspect’s house.
The late sergeant and two others were, on Jan 10, deployed to the Woodlark Mining Limited’s Bomagai camp to provide security for personnel and assets.
Milne Bay Governor Gordon Wesley condemned the killing of the policeman, saying it was a sad day for all, as the officer was killed in the line of his duty.
National Fisheries Authority (NFA) deputy general manager Leban Gisawa, who is from that area, said he was saddened by the killing of the policeman.
“My condolences to the family of the late policeman for this barbaric act by some animalistic people who do not deserve to live on this Earth. This is the first time for such a killing to take place, and I call on all law enforcers to find any other such culprits and bring them all to face justice,” Gisawa said.