Police officer kills two colleagues, injures one

JAKARTA (JP): Two West Jakarta Police Precinct officers were killed and another one was injured after one of their colleagues shot them at the precinct on Tuesday.

West Jakarta Police chief Supt. Iwan Nurisman Ismet said the incident involved four officers of the same rank, namely First. Insp. Asman Manurung, head of the police operational unit, First Insp. I Putu Eka Ishwara, head of the auto theft unit, First Insp. Zubaidi Ishak, head of the police adjutants unit and First Insp. Mukidi, head of the inventory unit.

"The four officers had just attended the morning inspection at the precinct. As they were chatting in Mukidi's room, suddenly, Asman picked up his gun and shot Zubaidi and Putu," Ismet told reporters at the morgue of the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

The two officers died on the spot after two bullets from a revolver pierced their left temple and right eye respectively.

Mukidi, who fought Asman later, escaped death after several other personnel in the precinct managed to catch Asman.

"However, Asman managed to shoot Mukidi in his left thigh," Ismet said.

Asman was detained by the city police internal affairs after the murder, while Mukidi was brought to the Pelni Petamburan Hospital for medical treatment.

Ismet said Asman might have been exhausted after he had been assigned to a night shift on Monday.

"He was tired. So when the other officers 'touched' him, in reflex, he shot them," he said without elaborating.

A source who refused to be named said Asman who had just been transferred to the police precinct had been angry after the other officers teased him saying that he was no longer in a position where he could get a lot of money.

"I also heard that they were arguing about their sources of money," the source said without elaborating.

City police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara said that the officer had been emotionally disturbed.

"He might have been under stress. He seemed rather confused when he attended morning inspection this morning," Makbul said at the morgue.

Meanwhile, the family of Zubaidi said the police must investigate the incident and bring the murderer to court.

"Asman must receive a sentence equal to his crime," Sr. Supt. Hafidz Suhani, an officer at the College for Police Affairs (PTIK) who is the oldest brother of Zubaidi, said.

Zubaidi, who hails from Sukabumi in West Java, came from a police family. Six out of 10 children in the family are police officers. His father, Mohammad Ishak, is a retired police major (assistant superintendent).

Members of Zubaidi's family poured into the hospital morgue on Tuesday, including his wife Dini and son Oky Wirapranata, a senior high school student.

Dini, who lived with her husband in Tangerang, fainted after she discovered that her husband had died.

Zubaidi's body was taken from the morgue at 3 p.m, and is set to be buried in his hometown in Cikukulu district, Sukabumi.

Meanwhile, none of Putu's family came to the morgue. Friends of Putu said his wife, who is also a police officer at the National Police Headquarters with rank Sr. Inp., was on vacation in her hometown in Bali with the family's two children.

Putu, who lived with his family in South Jakarta, is to be buried in Sele Madeg district, Bali. (asa/jaw)