Hans Arne Nystad (49) was shot and killed by the police

The 49-year-old was shot dead by the police, after what the police officers experienced as a life-threatening situation. The family describes the death as “incomprehensible”.

The drama happened in Lavangen in Sør-Troms on the night of Friday.

VG publishes the name and photo in consultation with lawyer John Christian Elden, who is engaged as legal counsel for the deceased’s three children – a daughter and two sons.

– The father was a nice man, and it is incomprehensible that a situation could arise which resulted in him being killed, Elden told VG on Saturday evening.

Troms police district has stated that one of their patrols was to assist in a health mission in Tennevoll in Lavangen municipality on the night of Friday.

It must have been farmer Hans Arne Nystad who contacted the Acute Medicine Communication Center (AMK).

The police first arrived at the scene at 01:40. The farm is located at the top of a cluster of houses by the county road along the Lavangen fjord, barely four kilometers from the town of Tennevoll.

A situation then arose which led to the police firing shots at Nystad, who was sitting in a wheel loader at the time.

Police Chief Astrid Nilsen in the Troms police district has stated that the officers experienced the situation as life-threatening.

Pictures from the scene show at least 15 bullet holes in the windowpane of the wheel loader and a police car lying overturned on its side.

The two police officers who were involved in the incident have been relieved of duty, but not suspended. None of them were injured.

The incident is being investigated by the Bureau of Police Affairs, with assistance from Kripos.

According to public prosecutor Elden, the Bureau is investigating the case as punishable bodily harm with death involving one suspect.

Head of investigations in the Bureau, Halvor Hjelm-Hansen, has stated that one of the police officers has the status of a suspect.

It is routine in cases where the police cause serious injury or death to others, emphasizes the head of the investigation.

The special unit has investigated many cases where the police have fired shots.

– Generally, the actions we investigate in these cases are assessed against emergency guardians, says Hjelm-Hansen.

He says that many shots were fired in Lavangen.

– The fact that many shots have been fired makes the case serious, and it has a bearing on what we are to assess in criminal law, says the head of the investigation.

The family hopes, according to the legal aid lawyer, that the investigation will provide good answers.

– My job is to ensure afterwards that the investigation is thorough and careful as in all other criminal cases where a person has been killed, writes Elden in an SMS.

Per-Erling Ellingsen is a farmer in Lavangen, and says that he has known the late Hans Arne Nystad all his life.

– It is completely unimaginable, Ellingsen told VG on Friday.

He describes the 49-year-old as kind and hardworking and a very good friend.

– He always stood up if you needed help or whatever it was. He was in a good mood, and always had a good line to make.