North Sumatra Police Suspect Ex-Wife of Medan Officer Took Firearm from Bag

The former wife of Bripka IH, an officer with the Medan Sunggal Police, is suspected of having taken her own life. The woman, identified by the initial L, allegedly ended her life using her ex-husband’s firearm in the bathroom of a house in the Bumi Asri Complex, Cinta Damai Village, Medan Helvetia District, Medan City, North Sumatra.

North Sumatra Police Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Ferry Walintukan, stated the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon (2/8). At the time, the victim and Bripka IH were resting at the residence. “So on Sunday afternoon, they were resting at home,” he told CNNIndonesia.com on Monday (3/8).

During the rest period, Ferry added, Bripka IH was puzzled to find his bag already open. Upon checking, he discovered the firearm that had been inside the bag was missing. “The firearm was placed in the bag. Suddenly he looked at the bag and saw it was already open. When he checked, he wondered who had taken the weapon,” he explained.

Bripka IH later realised the firearm had been taken by the victim and brought to the bathroom. Bripka IH had asked about the weapon’s whereabouts, but L immediately ended her life using the firearm inside the bathroom. “Then he [Bripka IH] asked [about the firearm’s whereabouts], and suddenly a gunshot was heard from inside the bathroom,” Ferry stated.

Furthermore, Ferry corrected an earlier statement which referred to L as Bripka IH’s wife. Ferry clarified that L and Bripka IH had been divorced since 2022. “Her status is ex-wife, so they were already divorced,” he said. Ferry mentioned L’s arrival at the Bumi Asri Medan house was to meet her ex-husband. “So the two are no longer husband and wife. The case is being handled by the Medan City Police,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Ferry added that Bripka IH has been examined by the North Sumatra Police Professional and Internal Security Division (Propam). “He is still being examined by Propam, we are still investigating. The ex-husband is still under examination,” he said. The North Sumatra Police have also received the results of a forensic laboratory examination regarding the cause of L’s death. So far, they suspect the victim died as a result of taking her own life using her ex-husband’s firearm. “The results from our forensic laboratory show that she indeed committed suicide, a suicide occurred,” Ferry stated.