Shoot-on-sight order issued in N. Sumatra<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan<\/p>\n
Following rampant brawls involving youth organizations, North
\nSumatra provincial police declared on Tuesday that they would
\nshoot on sight anyone involved in brawling.<\/p>\n
Spokesman of North Sumatra provincial police Sr. Comr. Bambang
\nPrihady said that the order, which came from the chief, was aimed
\nonly at incapacitating the people concerned, not killing them.
\n\"It is action of the last resort. The police are encouraged to
\nshoot them on sight, if brawls have endangered the lives of
\nothers, including police personnel,\" said Bambang.<\/p>\n
The statement came after rampant brawls in the past month,
\nwhich led to the death of four people in Medan, the capital of
\nNorth Sumatra province.<\/p>\n
The brawls involved the Pancasila Youth and the Functional
\nYouth Union in which the motive behind the brawling was mostly
\ncompetition for the management of parking lots.<\/p>\n
The last brawl occurred on Saturday in Labuhan Deli, which
\ncaused serious injury to a police officer, such that he had to be
\ntreated at Gleneagles Hospital, Medan.<\/p>\n
Separately, North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin urged the
\nleaders of both youth groups to calm their members and ordered
\nthem not to get involved in brawling anymore.<\/p>\n
The governor, a former military commander, also supported a
\nmove by the provincial police, who have imposed a province-wide,
\nshoot-on-sight order.<\/p>\n
\"This is not a cowboy state where people can wander freely,
\ncarrying guns and machetes,\" said Rizal.<\/p>\n
However, Rizal called on the police to obey their own rules
\nand procedures before they shot on sight anyone involved in
\nbrawling.<\/p>\n
According to the procedure, once the police are called to
\nintervene in a brawl, they warn the people involved to stop
\nforthwith. If the people refuse, the police fire a warning shot.<\/p>\n
Only if their lives and that of others are endangered, may the
\npolice be allowed to shoot brawlers down.<\/p>",
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