On Friday night, a man in his 40s was shot and killed by the police in Lavangen, Troms. The case is now being investigated by the Special Unit with assistance from Kripos. The police officers were questioned on Friday and are said to be very affected by the incident. – They have explained themselves quite well about the sequence of events as they experienced it, says investigation manager Halvor Hjelm-Hansen at the Bureau for Police Affairs in Central and Northern Norway. The man was shot after the police were called to the scene to assist the healthcare system on Friday night. The police patrol should have arrived at the scene at approximately 01.40, on the night of Friday. At the scene, a situation is said to have arisen, which led to the police firing shots at the man. He is said to have been driving a wheel loader at the time. The pictures show the wheel loader that the man is said to have been driving when he was shot by the police on the night of Friday 9 December. Video: Hanne Wilhelms / news Hjelm-Hansen says that the officers experienced the situation as very dramatic. – Whether this becomes a question for emergency guardians, we will have to assess afterwards. The police officers are exempt from duty and are looked after by the employer. – It is only natural that they are very affected by the incident, and that is also an impression we got during questioning yesterday, says Hjelm-Hansen. – Quite a lot of shots The police officer who fired shots on the night of Friday has been given the status of a suspect, but Hjelm-Hansen says it is common in such cases. – It is an arrangement in the criminal process that you become a suspect when the investigation is aimed at the person in question. In this case, what we are investigating is that the police used firearms and fired shots, then the person concerned becomes a suspect. Hjelm-Hansen does not want to go into detail about what happened on the night of Friday. On Friday afternoon, both Kripos and the Bureau were in place in Lavangen. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news He says that they are not going out with the exact number of shots as they are still waiting for forensic reports and final clarifications. – We have an idea of how many there are, and what we can say is quite a few shots, says Hjelm-Hansen. Furthermore, he says that the case is a priority and that they must spend time collecting information, and that it will be a few weeks before they are nearing an end. This is the Bureau: The Bureau for Police Affairs was established on 1 January 2005. Their task is to investigate cases concerning the question of whether employees of the police or the prosecution have committed a criminal offense in the service. The unit is not part of the police, but an independent organization which is administratively subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and professionally subordinate to the Attorney General. Consists of regional investigation departments as well as a central management and staff in Hamar. Source: The special unit – Quiet in the village – It has been intense, sad and unreal. This is how mayor Hege Beate Rollmoen (Ap) describes the last 24 hours. She says the local community reacts with disbelief and shock. – It is a bit quiet in the village, I think people need some time to let this sink in, she says. Mayor Hege Beate Rollmoen says that the entire village is affected by the incident on the night of Friday. Photo: Ida Louise Rostad / news Lavangen municipality is located in the south of Troms. According to Statistics Norway, there are 970 residents who live and work there. Those who need it can get in touch by phone or meet at the health centre, says Rollmoen. On Friday afternoon, the doors of the local church were also opened. – There have also been people in the church who lit candles and had quiet time. Committed lawyer The next of kin of the man have asked for assistance from lawyer John Christian Elden. The newspaper Nordlys writes on Saturday evening. – I confirm that I have taken on the task of assisting the victim’s survivors in this case. It is important for all parties that it is investigated with the same seriousness and thoroughness as all other murder cases, and where my task is to look after the next of kin and the deceased’s remains, says Elden. Elden says to the newspaper that he will follow the investigation closely. – The police, as defenders, have made certain allegations about the course of events in a press release. We do not yet know if that is true, and will follow the investigation closely. Several funeral lanterns have appeared at the address of the deceased man. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news
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The investigation into the police shooting in Lavangen is well under way: – Quite a lot of shots – news Troms and Finnmark
