One dead, 40 hurt, 8 escape in East Timor jail riot<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): One inmate was killed, 40 others injured and
\neight escaped during a riot in the Dili Correctional Facility
\nyesterday morning, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Five prison guards were also injured.<\/p>\n
The news agency quoted the chief of the East Timor Office of
\nthe Ministry of Justice, Benny J. Matthaus, as saying that the
\nriot appeared to have been well organized, with the intention of
\nmaking an escape.<\/p>\n
Benny identified the dead inmate as Armindo da Silva Martins.<\/p>\n
He said Armindo was spotted carrying fuel with the apparent
\nintention of setting fire to the correctional facility during the
\nriot.<\/p>\n
\"An officer who spotted him fired in the air to stop him but
\ninstead of heeding the warning, the inmate attacked the officer,\"
\nBenny said. \"In self defense, the officer aimed his gun on the
\ninmate's leg hoping to paralyze him. But because of the difficult
\nsituation, the bullet hit his body instead and killed him.\"<\/p>\n
\"I repeat that the attempt to paralyze the target was carried
\nout according to procedure. There was no intention to kill him,\"
\nBenny said.<\/p>\n
The riot started when an inmate, identified as Alex da Costa,
\nforced his way to the detention center shortly after the main
\nblock was opened at 7 a.m., he said.<\/p>\n
Prison guards prevented him from going in, and took him to the
\ncorrectional facility to pacify him.<\/p>\n
Instead he began screaming and this provoked anger among about
\n100 other inmates.<\/p>\n
\"They pelted the office with stones and whatever they could
\nget their hands on. There were only nine guards against the mob,\"
\nBenny said, adding that the attack caused extensive damage.<\/p>\n
To stop the mob, the guards fired warning shots and ordered
\nthe inmates to return to their cell block. Forty-five heeded the
\nwarning, but 55 other inmates continued the rampage.<\/p>\n
The guards then called for assistance from a Police Mobile
\nBrigade unit which was patrolling in the area. \"But even they
\nwere outnumbered because there were only 16 officers.\"<\/p>\n
During the riot, 10 inmates fled through one of the tower
\nposts, Benny said. \"They kicked their way into the post and beat
\nthe guards stationed at the tower.\"<\/p>\n
By the early evening, two of the escaped inmates had been
\narrested. The other eight were still at large, according to
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, order in the Dili Correctional Facility was
\nrestored after police sent reinforcements.<\/p>\n
The 40 inmates who were injured were still being treated at
\nthe correctional facility's clinic.<\/p>\n
Antara also reported that the town was relatively calm in
\nspite of the riot in the Dili Correctional Facility. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/one-dead-40-hurt-8-escape-in-east-timor-jail-riot-1447893297",
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