Policeman in custody after 17-year-old student shot dead

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By TONY PALME
A POLICE officer is being blamed for the shooting to death of a 17-year-old Jiwaka youth in Banz on Monday.
The youth’s father, Felix Brown, is a police officer in
Mt Hagen and a member of the Ngantskup tribe near Banz.
The youth, Mond, was a student at the Waghi Valley Secondary School. His death triggered retaliation by the youth’s relatives, led by Brown.
Angry tribesmen burnt a vehicle driven by the police officer’s wife in Banz town on Monday, forcing the officer to flee in another vehicle. He later surrendered himself to police at Minz police station.
The tribesmen and relatives walked from Banz town to the police station yesterday and demanded to know why the boy was shot.
The boy’s father is a member of the police mobile squad in Mt Hagen.
He said it was an “unnecessary killing”.
“Mond is my second-born son. I have six children. He was unarmed. He was a student. He was only 17 years old. I am lost for words,” he said.
Community leader Andrew Tants said the shooting was “cold-blooded”.
“The State and police department should take full responsibility for this brutal killing,” Tants said. “The tribe and Jiwaka have lost a potential human resource.
“We want a very good explanation as to why our son was shot like a criminal. He had done nothing wrong.”
Acting provincial police commander Horim Piamia said the officer was in police custody at the Minj police station and will be transferred to Mt Hagen police station.