4 police, 1 civilian killed in shootout
TIRANA, Aug 10 – Four police officers and one civilian were killed in a shootout with a fugitive wanted for murder and kidnapping.
The fugitive fired last week at police searching for him in the sea resort of Durres, Albania, some 40 kilometers west of capital Tirana.
The police have launched an investigation to find the reasons for the loss of their forces.
Dritan Dajti, wanted by police since 2003 when he fled from a courtroom during his hearing in Tirana, was wounded in the shootout and is now in police custody.
The civilian victim was his nephew accompanying him as a bodyguard.
Special operations police surrounded the car of convicted murderer Dritan Dajti when it stopped in the seaside town of Durres, a police statement said.
“The most wanted man, Dritan Dajti, immediately opened fire on the police officers, leaving four of them dead. He was also heavily wounded,” the statement said.
One of Dajti’s two accomplices was also killed and Dajti was taken to the capital Tirana for medical treatment.
The Albanian government declared Saturday a National Day of Mourning in honor of the four police officers who were killed Friday.
Dajti, 37, escaped from custody while being escorted to Tirana’s district court six years ago and was sentenced in absentia to 20 years for killing businessmen.
Expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the killed policemen, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that they would be proclaimed as 4 martyrs and buried in the cemeteries of the heroes.
President of the Republic Bamir Topi offered his condolences to the families of the four police officers killed in the line of duty condemning this unprecedented crime.
Opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama also offered condolences to the families of the four police officers.
It was the highest number of policemen killed in a single day since 1997 when Albania fell into anarchy in the post-Communist period.
Witnesses described Friday’s scene as “a real battle” that traumatized holidaymakers. Six people, including bystanders, were wounded.
