A police detective who was shot in the leg last week Thursday during a gun battle in Fasito’outa is recovering well, according to the Samoa Observer. The Samoa based newspaper says the officer is recovering at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital after being injured during a gun battle with men suspected to be in possession of marijuana. The article says that three police officers who were in civilian clothes were involved in the shoot-out.

Assistant Police Commissioner, Fauono Talalelei Tapu confirmed the incident with Samoa News but declined to further comment on the matter. He told Samoa News the investigation is underway and they will disclose information as it becomes available.  Samoa Observer says that the police officer was shot and admitted to the Emergency Room where he was treated. The officer is under further observation and is reportedly doing well.

However the family whose front yard where the incident occurred “were left badly shaken” says Samoa Observer. A woman who feared for repercussions from the dealers said her family is lucky that no one was killed. The woman was at home with her husband, daughter and grandchild when a vehicle which appeared to be chased by the police stopped, and another car landed in her front yard and then the shooting began. “As soon as the first vehicle stopped, another car turned in and that’s when the men in the first vehicle started shooting towards the second car,” she said.

“There were three men in the second car and one of them was hit. Confused about what was happening, the mother yelled to her daughter to call the police. It was only then that one of the men in the second car yelled out that they are police officers,” says Samoa Observer. The woman said that at the time of the shooting no one was at their right frame of mind because everything was a rush but they would have appreciated some form of indication that these people were police officers.

According to the woman, the police struggled to get the occupants of the first vehicle out of the car. One of them made a run for it and was caught. As for the other man, the police required assistance from an eyewitness to contain him so they could arrest him. “The police officer who was hit had to be evacuated,” said the mother. “Fifteen minutes after the police vehicle left, another vehicle drove in to our house.

They had come to collect the first vehicle. “I was so afraid I immediately released it to them out of fear in case it might draw other people onto our property, putting my family’s lives at risk.” When she first heard gunshots, the mother said the safety of her grandchild was her priority, according to Samoa Observer.

“There were three guns, plenty of ammunition. I don't know weapons too well but the men (suspects) had something that looked like a machine gun. They also had bundles of marijuana.” When the Weekend Observer was interviewing the woman last evening, a van full of police officers arrived at the family’s home. They spent the evening combing the place as part of their investigation, said Samoa Observer.