Police post attacked

Police post attacked

GARUT, West Java: An angry crowd set fire to a police station
in Pameungpeuk subdistrict and ransacked a nearby police
officer's house Sunday in what appeared to be a senseless
outburst of violence.

Local police chief Col. Sukamto was quoted by Antara as saying
yesterday an investigation was underway but no arrests had been
made.

In Jakarta, Deputy National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Lutfhi
Dahlan was quoted by Antara as saying the violence was sparked by
rumors a policeman had killed a fellow officer.

Lutfhi said that on Friday, the Pameungpeuk police held
routine shooting training during which Chief Corporal Juju
accidentally killed himself.

"The public has not been harmed whatsoever by Juju's death. We
are saddened by his death, but it was an accident," he said.

The fire was the second case of arson in West Java in the last
month. The first was when a mob burned down a police post in
Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, alleging police inefficiency in
investigating a local teacher's death.

Sunday's incident was started when a group of people marched
2.5 kilometers from Mancagahar village in Pameungpeuk subdistrict
and gathered in front of the police station and hurled molotov
cocktails at the building.

This happened shortly after a group of youths ransacked Chief
Corporal Bambang's house, about 200 meters from the police post.

There were no casualties in the incident that lasted for an
hour before troops came in and contained the violence. (swe)