Indonesian Army soldier briefly brandished a toy pistol at an online taxi driver in South Tangerang

An active-duty Indonesian Army soldier is alleged to have assaulted a driver of an online taxi in the Setu area of South Tangerang, Banten. The suspect briefly brandished an object resembling a pistol, which was later identified as a wooden toy pistol. ‘An active-duty soldier is suspected of brandishing an object resembling a pistol, which was later found to be a wooden toy pistol,’ said Brigadier General Donny Pramono, Head of the Public Information Service of the Indonesian Army (Kadispenad), in a statement on Wednesday, 4 March 2026. Donny did not detail the reasons for the soldier carrying the toy pistol. He said the involved soldier has been secured and is being questioned by Denpom Jaya/1 Tangerang at Madenpom Jaya/1 Tangerang. ‘Currently the involved soldier has been secured and is being questioned by Denpom Jaya/1 Tangerang. We ensure the legal process will run in accordance with applicable procedures, including deeper chronology, witness questioning, and collection of evidence,’ he said. The soldier involved remains under investigation. Donny emphasised that the TNI AD soldier will be prosecuted and given strict sanctions if found guilty. The assault occurred on Sunday (1/3) and the incident went viral on social media. In a circulating video, the perpetrator is seen assaulting the victim by hitting, kicking, and throwing him to the asphalt. The online taxi driver’s hands were seen in handcuffs. At the scene, several people appear to intervene, and the perpetrator even brandished a pistol-like object at the taxi driver’s head. (wnv/whn)