Man shot dead for robbery

Man shot dead for robbery

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police officers shot dead late on
Thursday in Tangerang a man who was allegedly a member of a group
involved in a series of robberies on public minivans.

The man, identified as 25-year-old Herman, died from a single
shot to his chest after threatening to attack police officers who
were trying to arrest him, city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri
Lubis said.

His accomplice, 25-year-old Wesi, managed to flee after the
two were found on a minivan with a bag containing weapons,
officer Lubis said.

Lubis said that on Wednesday police arrested another member of
the group, identified as Jamal, robbing minivan passengers with
his accomplices on the Kota Bumi-Kali Deres route.

Based on information provided by Jamal, police started a
search for other members of the group.

"Jamal told police he did not know where Herman and Wesi
lived, but only knew where they worked," Lubis said.

Police were told the two worked at an automotive workshop in
the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport compound in Cengkareng.

"When police detectives checked for them at the airport, the
two were on leave," Lubis said.

Further information from Jamal then led police to the
Kalideres bus terminal in West Jakarta, where the two wanted men
were said to wait for public minivans to target.

Herman and Wesi left the bus terminal on a minivan shortly
before police arrived.

Police pursued the minivan and found it on Jl. Tanah Tinggi in
Tangerang at around 9 p.m.

It was unclear how many people were inside the minivan, but
Lubis said the two criminals rushed out of the vehicle, carrying
a bag containing sharp weapons.

"Police fired a warning shot, telling them to drop their
weapons, but they ignored it," he said.

Wesi immediately ran away, but Herman allegedly challenged the
police to fight him.

A police officer fired another warning shot, but Herman
continued to threaten the officers with a weapon.

"When he came closer to one of the police detectives, another
officer shot Herman in the chest," Lubis said. (emf)