Officer detained for shooting

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta Police's internal affairs division are questioning First. Brig. Kurniawan over the shooting of a man during a brawl on Jl. Penggadaian in Pejaten Timur, Pasar Minggu, on Tuesday night.

South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Widaryatmo said Kurniawan, who is stationed at the Pasar Minggu Police station, allegedly shot Iwan, 29, a resident of Pejaten Timur, in the back.

"The shot was not fatal, but the South Jakarta Police took it upon themselves to detain Kurniawan and question him over the shooting," Bambang said on Wednesday.

According to Bambang, the incident occurred on Tuesday when several Pasar Minggu hoodlums got into a brawl near the railroad tracks in Pejaten Timur.

Upon receiving a report of the brawl, Kurniawan and a number of other policemen went to the scene. Because the police were outnumbered, Kurniawan started to fire warning shots.

"The crowd dispersed but then someone saw a person fall to the ground. It was Iwan. He was rushed to the Siaga Pasar Minggu Hospital," Bambang said.

If the police find that this was a wrongful shooting, it would be the fourth such incident involving officers in Greater Jakarta this year. The first three were fatal shootings. (ylt)