A 35-year-old police reservist attached to Lorengau police has been arrested and charged with shooting an eighteen-year-old boy who surrendered to him on June 2, 2025.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Crimes Hodges Ette confirmed that the reservist, who was formally charged with one count of murder on October 27, is now waiting for his court dates. ACP Ette stated he was arrested and charged by the Criminal Investigation Unit police officers from Port Moresby, who flew to Manus after his office was notified of the crime committed.
He said, according to the police brief, it was alleged that between 5 and 6 p.m., the deceased, identified as 18-year-old Mausen Popress, was with his two friends at Ward 6, Lorengau Urban LLG, Manus Province. He stated that the deceased, according to police, is a person of interest who had committed several crimes in Manus and was on the run, hiding from police.
ACP Ette said the police officers, including the reservist, were informed that afternoon that he was at Ward 6 when they went there to apprehend him. He said when the police officers surrounded him and his two friends, the three were told to sleep on the floor and surrender to the police. He said they all complied.
“After the three surrendered, he was shot by the reservist, who was then transported to the hospital. He was pronounced dead the next day, June 3, 2025. A formal complaint was sent to my office, which I assigned officers who traveled to Manus to make the arrest. We must be careful when we do our job as police officers. You cannot shoot people when they surrender. This is wrong,” ACP Ette said.
The police officer is detained in a cell and will appear in court when his court dates are set.
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