Police shoot dead two men for resisting arrest

JAKARTA (JP): City Police shot dead two street criminals in two separate incidents for resisting arrest, raising the death toll of criminals shot by law enforcers to 26 this year.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Monday the two victims were identified as Syahrul, alias Aung, 28, and Hermansyah, alias Yayah, 26.

Syahrul was shot in the head in West Jakarta late Saturday, while Hermansyah was shot in the chest in South Jakarta on Sunday, Lubis said.

He said Syahrul was believed to be a member of an armed robbery gang who targeted victims in Jembatan Lima area, Grogol, West Jakarta.

"After being apprehended for a robbery, Syahrul was questioned at a nearby police station. (The criminal) said he hid some of the stolen goods in Tambora area," Lubis said, without providing details of the arrest.

When asked to show the location of the stolen goods, Syahrul tried to run away from the officers, Lubis said.

"As he ignored the warning shots, he was shot in the head and died instantly."

Syahrul's body was taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Separately in South Jakarta, Hermansyah was also shot while resisting arrest and ignoring police warning shots.

With an unidentified accomplice, Hermansyah robbed a passerby, Syailendra Febriansyah, of his cellular phone.

The cell phone was snatched from Syailendra's pocket as he walked on a pedestrian path near the Pasar Raya building complex in Blok M at about 5:30 p.m.

As soon as Syailendra realized he was robbed he rushed to a nearby police station to report the incident, Lubis said.

The two men were spotted at the incident site by patrolling police officers at about 9:30 p.m.

"They tried to run away when they saw the officers approaching them."

As warning shots were ignored, the officers were forced to shoot Hermansyah, Lubis said, adding that his accomplice managed to disappear amid the crowd at the busy Blok M bus terminal. (emf)