Police shoot dead two more alleged street robbers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two more alleged street criminals were shot dead
\nby police on Thursday, increasing the tally of those killed by
\nlaw enforcers to five in just four days.<\/p>\n
The two men were identified as Maruli Tamba and Rojani Erik
\nSontri, both 21 years old. According to city police spokesman,
\nLt. Col. Zainuri Lubis, Maruli was shot in the head, foot and
\nback while his accomplice, Rojani, was shot in the head, foot and
\nchest.<\/p>\n
City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said on Friday
\nthat the shootings were necessary because both men were armed and
\ndangerous.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, we shot dead the two but the shootings met with standard
\nprocedures and were carried out for the public's safety,\" he told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
He explained that the alleged criminals were spotted by police
\nofficers at the terminal after their female victim screamed for
\nhelp.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects, pretending to be passengers, earlier robbed
\nstudent, Fitri Fauzia, on a public minivan plying the Kampung
\nMelayu-Pulogadung route,\" Lubis said.<\/p>\n
The officer quoted the girl as saying that the men boarded the
\nminivan when the vehicle entered the crowded bus terminal.<\/p>\n
It was unclear how many people were inside the minivan when
\nthe incident took place.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects then raised their sharp weapons at Fitri, who
\ntold the two that she was only a student and had no money. In
\nfear of her life, the student then gave them her gold ring,\"
\nLubis said.<\/p>\n
According to the officer, the suspects then got out of the
\nminivan, from which Fitri, by chance, saw a policeman, prompting
\nher to scream for help.<\/p>\n
The girl's yell attracted the attention of police officers
\npatrolling the terminal, who rushed to the scene and attempted to
\napprehend the suspects, Lubis said.<\/p>\n
When police fired warning shots in the air, the two -- instead
\nof giving themselves up -- threatened the police while
\nbrandishing weapons: a sickle and a pocket knife.<\/p>\n
A similar incident took place at the Cawang interchange in
\nEast Jakarta, late Tuesday, when police shot dead three alleged
\narmed street criminals caught red-handed extorting money from a
\nmotorist.<\/p>\n
Noegroho acknowledged that shooting street criminals on site
\nwould not automatically curb the escalating crime wave which has
\nbecome a serious headache for many Jakartans.<\/p>\n
\"I therefore have asked related institutions to further
\ndiscuss the measures we should be taking to solve these problems
\nbecause I do believe that crimes always have a significant
\nrelationship with another social aspects,\" he said without
\nelaborating.<\/p>\n
He insisted that Thursday's shooting had nothing to do with a
\nrecent raid held by police to round up hoodlums.<\/p>\n
\"The shooting just happened, the lives of police officers
\nassigned to safeguard the bus terminal were placed in a risky
\nsituation by the crooks,\" Noegroho said.<\/p>\n
From the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, where
\nthe bodies of Maruli and Rojani are undergoing postmortem
\nexaminations, a female relative of Maruli deplored the police's
\nstern measures.<\/p>\n
\"I disagree with the shoot-on-sight order. What will be the
\nfate of his wife and child now that they have to survive without
\na husband and father?\" said the relative, who asked for
\nanonymity.<\/p>\n
According to the woman, Maruli was married last August. His
\nwife is expecting their first child.<\/p>\n
She admitted that the suspected robber, who arrived in Jakarta
\nthree years ago, used to get drunk and was once sentenced to one
\nyear in prison.<\/p>\n
But, she added, Maruli had promised -- at a family reunion
\nheld earlier this year -- to reform and begin a new life.<\/p>\n
She said she had no idea why he broke that promise. (emf\/ivy)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-shoot-dead-two-more-alleged-street-robbers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }