Police and military stand off

Caption:  Soldiers at the Murray Barracks mobilizing during the morning.

Caption:  Obstacles placed on the main road leading between the Murray barrack.

Caption:  Police hierarchy meeting with military commanders. 

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, December 7, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

THE police and the military came to a standoff yesterday as a result of an incident that occurred during the early hours around 3am on Saturday morning yesterday.

A group of soldiers from the Murray Barrack, some of who were new recruits , who were out at the Pacific Leisure club located at the Boroko central business district, had made their way out onto the street outside the and were alleged to have been acting disorderly in public.

When approached by police officers to behave properly, an argument ensured which resulted in a number of shots being fired by police and a number of injuries sustained.

The altercation resulted in a full scale violent confrontation that began at the entrance of the club all the way to the Boroko Police station.

The number of soldiers hurt has been stretchy, with many media report pointing towards a number of between four to six soldiers hurt, with authorities from both side refusing to comment on the actual number pending a joint investigation.

Command and control within the defense force and Murray Barracks command prevented what could have been a volatile situation as soldiers blocked off roads leading to and from the barracks and the Four Mile, Boroko area.

Parties from both forces met at the Boroko police Station to, which was heavily guarded by police units heavily armed, to discuss the situation and measure to take to quell tensions yesterday.

During the initial meet between the officers that included the Chief of Staff of the Military Colonel Mark Goina, and Acting Deputy Commissioner for Police Operations Jim Andrews and other high-ranking members of both police and army present, both sides agreed to have a joint investigation conducted and for those found to be in breach of the law to be held accountable.

Mr Andrews assured his counterparts that those involved from the police would be stood down pending the investigations, which was agreed likewise by the military bosses.