
Violand Braçellari was hiding in a tent in Lozhan, Maliqi, while he was wanted by the Korça police for 'production and sale of narcotics' and sentenced to 9 years, 11 months and 7 days in prison.
The 'Eagle' forces surrounded the camp and called on the 43-year-old to surrender, but he refused and at one point opened fire on the police. In the exchange of fire, officer Enea Mekolli was killed and police officer Edison Adri was injured.
Violand Braçellari was injured as a result of the police's gunfire response, was neutralized and handcuffed.
"Korça/Preliminary information"
One police officer was killed in the line of duty, and another police officer was injured, from a gun attack by a wanted person who was neutralized and injured during the exchange of fire during an operation to capture him.
In implementation of the plan of measures for the capture of wanted persons, based on the information provided on the location of a wanted person, with high risk, the services of the Korça Local Police Directorate, the Maliq Police Commissariat and the Korça Police Commissariat, have organized the work and have gone to the Lozhani area, on Mount Boden, Maliq Municipality.
At around 07:30, the Police services surrounded the place (stall) where the wanted person was suspected of hiding, specifically citizen Violand Braçellari, 43 years old, sentenced in 2017 to 9 years, 11 months and 7 days of imprisonment by the Korça Court, for the criminal offense "Production and sale of narcotics", while in 2011 the security measure "Arrest in prison" was imposed on him, for the criminal offense "Cultivation of narcotic plants".
The Police Services called on the wanted person to come out and surrender, but he did not obey the Police call and opened fire on the Police officers, resulting in the death of the Police officer, Inspector EM, 34 years old, and the injury of the Police officer, Inspector EA, 36 years old (both employees of the "Eagle" Special Force of the Korça Police Department).
To neutralize the wanted man's attack, the Police services responded with firearms and, as a result of the exchange of fire, the wanted man, citizen Violand Braçellari, was also injured and was subsequently arrested.
A medical helicopter has been dispatched to the scene.
"The investigative group, under the direction of the Prosecutor's Office and in cooperation with the Police Supervision Agency, is continuing its work on the full legal documentation of this very serious event, where a police officer lost his life in the line of duty and another police officer was injured," the police statement said.