Police back decision in hoodlum shooting

Police back decision in hoodlum shooting

JAKARTA (JP): Police defended yesterday the fatal shooting of
a hoodlum in Tanah Abang last Friday saying that the man, labeled
a troublemaker by local vendors, was shot for attacking officers
after he killed a vendor.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira
announced yesterday that police never gun down anyone unless
necessary. "This is a police rule that must be respected,"
Abubakar said.

Abubakar said that his subordinates had to shoot Immanuel
Soares because he tried to attack the officers who were taking
him to find the weapon he allegedly used to kill the street
vendor in Bongkaran, Tanah Abang.

Immanuel was shot twice in the back at around 3:30 a.m.
Friday, about two hours after hacking Mawi, a 55-year-old
cigarette street vendor, to death for refusing to give him money.

Immanuel was nabbed following tips from his friend, Herman,
who was arrested by police earlier.

Police data said that Immanuel, a Timorese, had been jailed
for four-and-a-half years for murder and was released in November
1994.

The shooting of Immanuel was a relief to the Tanah Abang
street vendors, who said they have long been the target of
extortion by thugs.

More than 50 vendors operating in the Bongkaran slum area went
to the Central Jakarta Police precinct yesterday to praise the
police for their prompt action in handling the hoodlums.

"We're very happy to know Immanuel was shot to death," one of
the traders exulted yesterday.

The vendors, including women, also visited the Jakarta Police
headquarters. They said Immanuel was a cold-blooded hoodlum, who
had frequently been violent towards them.

"If we fail to give the hoodlums money, they will hurt us or
take away, destroy and even burn our property," said an elderly
vendor.

The vendors said that they had reported the case to both the
military and the nearby police station but only this time did the
police take measures.

According to the vendors, Immanuel and dozens of his group
members went to the Tanah Abang area everyday to ask vendors,
shop owners and drivers of public vehicles for between Rp 5,000
to Rp 15,000 in "security guarantees."

"We also want the police to arrest his other 50 friends, and
their boss," said another street vendor.

Procedures

Meanwhile, a number of people who claimed to be friends of
Immanuel went to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in
Central Jakarta, where Immanuel's body was being kept.

Some of them said they wanted to take the body to the Central
Jakarta police precinct to protest the shooting, in which they
claim proper police procedures were not followed.

Some 50 police and military officers, equipped with rattan
sticks and shields, guarded the hospital's morgue since 11 a.m..

Some East Timorese loiters who were sitting on a bench at the
morgue kept quiet when questioned. One of them just said, "I
don't know. I don't know."

Immanuel was known to be a member of a prointegration youth
organization.

Duarte Freitas, a staff member of the organization,
distributed leaflets at the House of Representatives which stated
that all newspapers reports on Immanuel were incorrect.
(bsr/jun/sur)