Officer questioned in traffic shooting

JAKARTA (JP): Tangerang Military Police confiscated the FN-45 gun of Chief Sergeant Ismail Husen and took him in late Friday night for questioning over the alleged shooting of a man in the Gembor subdistrict of Jatiuwung, Tangerang, on Friday evening, said a city police spokesman.

Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said it was strongly suspected that Ismail, who is with the Teluk Naga Military Subdistrict Command (Koramil), shot Aris A.S., 30, simply because he was angry that his motorcycle could not get ahead of Aris' Feroza jeep in the heavy traffic on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Tangerang, on Friday.

"It's either that, or Aris Feroza slid by Ismail's motorcycle in the heavy traffic," Zainuri told reporters.

As reported earlier, Tangerang police detectives had the shell of an .8 millimeter caliber bullet and the registration number of a motorcycle used by an unidentified person to shoot down a man.

"The victim is being operated on for a gunshot wound at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital right now," Tangerang police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto said on Friday night.

"It was a traffic misunderstanding... or something of that sort. We are still investigating this case and have yet to find the real motive for this shooting."

A resident of the Bumi housing complex in the Pasar Kemis, Tangerang, Aris was shot on the right side of his back, in the neighborhood community 04 of Gembor, Jatiuwung, on Friday.

The bullet went through his chest and pierced his left arm.

He was wheeled into the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's emergency unit at 8:40 p.m.

Zainuri said Aris, a father of two, was accompanied by his brother Rohman while they were returning home from Aris's workplace in Tangerang.

"Aris' car was going forward very slowly. Suddenly, a motorcycle, ridden by Ismail, slid past. Witnesses at the crime scene saw Ismail stopping his motorcycle right in front of Aris' jeep. Ismail angrily told Aris to get down," Zainuri said.

"Aris got down from the car and was immediately showered with beatings by the suspect."

Feeling very uncomfortable and embarrassed, Aris offered to take the matter to a more quiet place elsewhere.

"Aris was about to get into his car when Ismail took out his FN-45 gun and shot Aris in the back from a distance of two meters," Zainuri said.

Residents nearby immediately alerted the Jatiuwung police station. Jatiuwung police chief First. Lt. Budi Hernawan arrived at the crime scene to secure it and called in for an ambulance to rush the victim to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

Tangerang police officers arrived on Friday evening at the suspect's home to question him over the motive of the shooting.

"The suspect informed the police officers that his superiors were handling the case. He refused to speak," Zainuri said.

Tangerang Military Police arrested Ismail at his house late Friday evening. (ylt/06)