Top cop issues warning

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
Police Commissioner David Manning says the full brunt of the law will come down hard on officers who have been identified in the latest alleged police shootings at Baruni on Monday night.
Police Minister William Onglo said the latest incident had brought down the hard work done by police personnel serving the communities.
Both men said that the identified officers would be dealt with administratively and criminally once investigations were complete.
In the latest incident, it was alleged by villagers from Baruni that police officers shot and wounded two youths who were sitting in the back of a company vehicle as it made its way back to the village.
“The days of officers who continue to bring the constabulary into disrepute are numbered, as I have said before the ‘one strike you are out’ policy for members of the Constabulary remains,” Comm Manning said.
“For now, I will await the outcome of the investigation.”
The two men who were shot are now fighting for their lives having sustained serious wounds to the back and neck.
The two men were in the company of their cousin and his partner when a vehicle pursued them from the Red Sea roundabout into Baruni village.
According to Gai Arua, who was driving that evening, he had been rushing to get to the village because of a 10pm curfew when a white 10-seater Land Cruiser (plate number known) followed them.
“As we came into a dark spot on the stretch of road leading into the village, the vehicle flashed its lights for us to stop, knowing that it was a dark spot, I put my head out to signal the driver to follow me to a spot where there was light,” he said.
“I did this because my partner was sitting on the passenger side, thinking of her safety, I signaled the land cruiser to follow me, however, as I drove off, shots were fired at us.
“We tried to stop at the councillor’s house but, the officers kept firing at us, so I continued driving to my family home.”
Arua said as he drove up to his home, one of the shots blew out his tire but he continued driving fearing for the safety of his partner, the car’s other occupants and his own.
“We finally stopped and got out, that is when there was an exchange of words between us and the men in front of my family home.”