Shootout ends with one dead, 2 in hospital

ONE man died and two others suffered bullet wounds when trying to remove a gun from a policemen in Lae on Friday, Lae Metropolitan Superintendant Anthony Wagambie Jr claimed.
The incident happened after members of a response unit patrolling the area tried to calm down a commotion among drunkards at Asu Block, Kamkumung.
According to Wagambie, two members of the response unit came across a group of drunks who were fighting at 1.30am and they tried to stop them.
“The policemen got out of the vehicle and stood in the middle trying to stop the fighting between two factions when a suspect came from behind and punched one of them,” he claimed.
The policeman was wrestled to the ground while at attempt was made to take the firearm from
him.
Others joined in to pull the rifle from the policeman who fired shots and hit one of them in the stomach and another in the waist.
According to the report, the third one was shot in the leg by another policeman who was at the scene.
The other members of the response unit arrived a few minutes after the attack.
Two of the three wounded men were taken to hospital, one died and the other was in critical condition.
The man who was shot in the leg escaped but was later brought to the hospital by his relatives, Wagambie said.