Armed man shot dead by police in robbery attempt

Armed man shot dead by police in robbery attempt

JAKARTA (JP): A member of an ax-wielding gang, that preys on
motorists and taxi passengers for their valuables, was shot dead
on Friday evening by a police officer near the busy Jl. Pemuda
intersection in East Jakarta.

First Insp. Freddy Sambo from the local precinct identified
the suspect as Rancus Simanjuntak, 23, a member of the Red Axe
Gang.

According to officer Freddy, Rancus was shot dead at 6.50 p.m.
after he and two gang members attempted to rob a passenger of a
Blue Bird Taxi while stopped by the traffic light at the
intersection.

Police preliminary investigation disclosed that the passenger,
Alfred Parlian Parlindungan, was on his way from Cempaka Mas area
in Central Jakarta to Pejompongan area, still in Central Jakarta,
when he saw three men approaching the taxi near the traffic
light.

Freddy quoted Alfred as saying that the passenger saw a young
man, followed by two other men, coming to the taxi and suddenly
opened the right passenger door of the vehicle which was
unlocked.

Pointing a red axe Rancus ordered Alfred to hand over all his
valuables, the officer said.

According to Alfre, Rancus told him: "Don't resist or we will
kill you."

However, Alfred hastily opened the other door and screamed
loudly for help, said Freddy, who is also deputy chief of the
East Jakarta Police detective unit.

Alerted by the scream, a police officer rushed to the scene
and began chasing the three crooks, who hastily dispersed.

The officer, Freddy said, finally managed close with Rancus,
who then tried to attack the officer with his axe.

"Since the officer felt that his life was in danger, he fired
his gun at the robber," said Freddy.

The two other hoodlums escaped.

Rancus was admitted to Sukanto Police Hospital in Kramatjati,
East Jakarta for medical treatment, but he died shortly after he
received treatment, Freddy explained

The deceased was then brought to Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital for post mortem examination.

According to Freddy, police have already been assigned to
locate the other two members.

A number of ax-wielding gangs once spread fear to motorists,
particularly lonely female drivers, as the culprits usually used
axes in their operations to threaten victims and break the car
windows to take mobile phones, cash, jewelry and vehicle side
mirrors.

Their numbers have been declining in the past few months after
police officers managed to apprehend some of them. (asa)