On 9 December, the Bureau of Police Affairs started its investigation into the incident in which a man was shot and killed by the police in Troms. The Bureau writes in a press release that the incident occurred between 01 and 02 on the night of Friday 9 December, after a police patrol with two officers had arrived at the scene in a police car. The now deceased person was in the cab of a wheel loader in the farm yard. – The wheel loader came into contact with the police car so that it overturned. One officer was sitting in the police car when this happened. The other officer, who had moved out of the police car, fired shots with his service weapon that hit the deceased. – A larger number of shots were fired, the press release states. The officer who fired the shot is a suspect in the case, the unit writes on its website. Suspect status is routine in such an investigation, and not specifically for this case. 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. In line with the Bureau’s mandate, all cases where someone dies or is seriously injured as a result of the police’s performance of their duties must be investigated. Source: The Bureau – Relatives react It was the farmer Hans Arne Nystad (49) who died during the incident. This was confirmed by the legal counsel for his three children, John Christian Elden, on Tuesday evening. It must have been Nystad himself who contacted the Acute Medical Communication Center (AMK), according to sources that VG has spoken to. It was Hans Arne Nystad who died in Lavangen on the night of Friday. He was a local farmer. Photo: private According to Elden, the Bureau has, on its own initiative, contacted the court, and believed that the case is so serious and special that he should act as legal counsel for all three of the deceased’s children. None of them are minors. – We take it to mean that they are taking the case very seriously, as the case deserves, says Elden. The prominent lawyer says he and the next of kin understand that the investigation will take time. – What we take for granted is that no conclusions are drawn too quickly. It is a serious matter. There is a murder that has taken place. – How do you think the special unit has handled the case so far? – The special unit has given some insufficient information to my clients. They react to being informed through press releases about details. At the same time, they are happy that the special unit has stepped in and taken the case seriously. Many in the local community in Lavangen have put out lit candles and flowers after the police shooting. Just under a thousand people live in the municipality. Photo: Malin Straumnes / news Wants to dig into emergency guardian issues Elden told news on Monday that he will follow the investigation closely and that there is still a lot of information missing. – It seems like a relatively excessive situation, but we do not know why this was allegedly necessary. The Bureau says it will continue its work to clarify what happened, and assess whether something criminal has been committed. One of the most central things will be to find out whether the shooting was necessary and justifiable, and whether there was an emergency situation, they write. – The case is a priority, and there is still a lot of investigation that will continue for several weeks to come. This includes, among other things, further technical investigations and interrogations. The unit also writes that they are working to obtain information about other underlying conditions that triggered the police being called to the scene. The pictures show the wheel loader that the man was driving when he was shot by the police on the night of Friday 9 December. Video: Hanne Wilhelms / news Investigators sent north The Bureau receives assistance from Kripos and the Troms police district in the investigation of the case. – The investigation is aimed at clarifying the course of events and further circumstances surrounding the police’s duty, the unit wrote on its website before the weekend. Incidents where people die or are seriously injured in an encounter with the police must always be investigated. The Bureau has sent its own investigators to Troms, among other things to question the police officers involved. The photo shows, among other things, a number of bullet holes in the door of the wheel loader that the deceased man was sitting in. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms / news – We have priority on the case, and will try to clear this up and find out if something criminal has been committed through what has happened, and finally how the case should be assessed in terms of prosecution, Hjelm-Hansen has explained. It has also been announced that the deceased man will undergo an autopsy. It is not yet clear when a preliminary autopsy report will be available. Ten people killed by the police since 2005 This is the tenth person who since 2005 has lost his life after the police have fired shots. This shows a review of the Bureau’s reports that NTB has carried out. All the cases have either ended with an acquittal or dismissal for the officials involved. Five of the incidents have taken place since 2020. The last time a man died after the police fired shots was in November 2021. Source: NTB.
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The special unit on the course of events – news Troms and Finnmark
