Airbase employee, soldier shot in police operation

JAKARTA (JP): Depok police shot dead a 54-year-old man and injured another in a routine midnight street operation in Tonjong subdistrict of Bojong Gede early yesterday.

The dead victim was later identified as Madjid, 54, a civil servant at the local air base in Semplak Barat, and the injured person was a chief private from the Bogor-based Kujang infantry brigade, an officer said.

Madjid was shot in the head, stomach, right arm and leg.

The soldier suffered wounds in a hip and is being treated at the police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.

All the police officers are being questioned by Jakarta Police Internal Affairs officers, who also supervise the Bogor Police.

According to Second Lt. Sugeng H of the Internal Affairs unit, the preliminary investigation revealed that Madjid, a grandfather of two, left his house at Kampung Lumbung shortly after midnight with two of his friends, including the soldier.

They then hired a public transportation minivan.

"Their destination is still unclear," Sugeng said.

In Tonjong the vehicle stalled so four people, including the driver and conductor, tried to restart the engine by pushing the minivan from behind.

The soldier, who was not in uniform, sat behind the steering wheel, he said.

"The six patrolling officers then arrived at the scene, asking the five what was going on," Sugeng explained.

They told the officers, who were all armed with rifles, that the minivan had broken down and they were trying to restart the engine.

When the officers asked the minivan driver to show the vehicle documents, the latter failed to show proper papers, Sugeng said.

They were then ordered to give a further explanation at the Depok Police station.

"Shortly after the officers asked the five people to accompany them, the engine suddenly started and the five people tried to escape," Sugeng said.

After firing several warning shots in the air, the police officers aimed their guns at Madjid, who by then had got back into the minivan, and the person behind the steering wheel, he said.

Madjid's other companion managed to escape, while the driver and conductor were dragged off to the Depok Police station for further questioning. he said.

"The police officers would not have opened fire unless the people had done something wrong or resisted arrest," Sugeng argued.

According to one of Madjid's sons, who refused to be named, his father's companion who managed to escape turned up at the family's house at about 4 a.m., a few hours after the shooting.

The man, who remained anonymous, dropped by at the house to hand over Madjid's cap that was covered in blood.

Sugeng said Depok and Jakarta police are still compiling data to piece together the truth behind the incident. (ivy)