One dead, 40 hurt, 8 escape in East Timor jail riot
One dead, 40 hurt, 8 escape in East Timor jail riot
JAKARTA (JP): One inmate was killed, 40 others injured and
eight escaped during a riot in the Dili Correctional Facility
yesterday morning, Antara reported.
Five prison guards were also injured.
The news agency quoted the chief of the East Timor Office of
the Ministry of Justice, Benny J. Matthaus, as saying that the
riot appeared to have been well organized, with the intention of
making an escape.
Benny identified the dead inmate as Armindo da Silva Martins.
He said Armindo was spotted carrying fuel with the apparent
intention of setting fire to the correctional facility during the
riot.
"An officer who spotted him fired in the air to stop him but
instead of heeding the warning, the inmate attacked the officer,"
Benny said. "In self defense, the officer aimed his gun on the
inmate's leg hoping to paralyze him. But because of the difficult
situation, the bullet hit his body instead and killed him."
"I repeat that the attempt to paralyze the target was carried
out according to procedure. There was no intention to kill him,"
Benny said.
The riot started when an inmate, identified as Alex da Costa,
forced his way to the detention center shortly after the main
block was opened at 7 a.m., he said.
Prison guards prevented him from going in, and took him to the
correctional facility to pacify him.
Instead he began screaming and this provoked anger among about
100 other inmates.
"They pelted the office with stones and whatever they could
get their hands on. There were only nine guards against the mob,"
Benny said, adding that the attack caused extensive damage.
To stop the mob, the guards fired warning shots and ordered
the inmates to return to their cell block. Forty-five heeded the
warning, but 55 other inmates continued the rampage.
The guards then called for assistance from a Police Mobile
Brigade unit which was patrolling in the area. "But even they
were outnumbered because there were only 16 officers."
During the riot, 10 inmates fled through one of the tower
posts, Benny said. "They kicked their way into the post and beat
the guards stationed at the tower."
By the early evening, two of the escaped inmates had been
arrested. The other eight were still at large, according to
Antara.
Meanwhile, order in the Dili Correctional Facility was
restored after police sent reinforcements.
The 40 inmates who were injured were still being treated at
the correctional facility's clinic.
Antara also reported that the town was relatively calm in
spite of the riot in the Dili Correctional Facility. (emb)