22 Nov 2010

PNG deputy police chief says robbery suspects shot in self defence

7:36 pm on 22 November 2010

The police in Papua New Guinea say they were justified in shooting dead two robbery suspects last week, as they were returning fire.

The Acting Deputy Commissioner Fred Yakasa says police in Mt Hagen came under heavy gunfire after a vehicle they were pursuing following the robbery of the Monpi Coffee Company came to a stop.

Mr Yakasa says police then shot dead two of the men from the vehicle in retaliation, while two or three others fled from the scene.

He says the shooting will be investigated by Mt Hagen police, but he believes the officers acted correctly

"If police are fired upon then of course police in self-defence can fire back. I think in situations like this armed gangs come prepared to face such situations and if they know that they are being chased by police, many a times you'll find that they'll fire at the police."