12 Aug 2010

Police investigate shooting death in Honiara

9:15 pm on 12 August 2010

Solomon Islands police have begun a homicide investigation after a man died when Tongan soldiers from the Regional Assistance Mission fired shots.

The mission has confirmed it fired shots during the callout, but says the cause of death is still being investigated, Radio New Zealand International reports.

Police commissioner Peter Marshall has ruled out any suggestion the incident in the capital Honiara was related to the general election.

Security forces have confirmed a Guadalcanal man in his 30s died and another was injured following a security incident attended by Royal Solomons Island Police and RAMSI police and military officers.

The Regional Assistance Mission says they were called out by police to attend a drunk and disorderly incident and that a group of people in a residential area in Honiara were attacking each other by throwing rocks.

It says the cause of death has yet to be established, although it has been confirmed that shots were fired by RAMSI security forces.