Youth killed during shootout, police say

A YOUTH was allegedly killed during a shootout last Thursday between local police and several men at a remote logging camp in Northern, police commander Supt Michael Welly says.
He said the men, all from the logging area in Musa, Ijivitari, comprised of a police officer based in Eastern Highlands and one based in Morobe, a correctional services warder based at Buimo prison in Morobe, and a PNG Defence Force soldier based at Taurama Barracks in Port Moresby.
He said during a confrontation with local police at Karisou village, the Morobe-based police officer, who was a sergeant with the Bulolo mobile squad, was injured.
A youth who was with them was killed.
Detectives from Port Moresby are in Northern carrying out an independent investigation of the incident as it involved local police officers and members of the disciplinary forces (police, army and correctional services).
Supt Welly yesterday said the group had gone into the camp of a logging company along the Foru River and shut it down last Wednesday.
“They allegedly stole personnel items and confiscated the keys to the machinery such as bulldozers and trucks,” he said.
“They shut down the logging operations. So the management called the local police and they were deployed to the area.”
Welly and Ijivitari MP Richard Masere met with Eroro villagers and assured them that the killing of the youth would be investigated.
The wounded sergeant was medevaced to Lae .