Police shoot dead two more alleged street robbers
Police shoot dead two more alleged street robbers
JAKARTA (JP): Two more alleged street criminals were shot dead
by police on Thursday, increasing the tally of those killed by
law enforcers to five in just four days.
The two men were identified as Maruli Tamba and Rojani Erik
Sontri, both 21 years old. According to city police spokesman,
Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis, Maruli was shot in the head, foot and
back while his accomplice, Rojani, was shot in the head, foot and
chest.
City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said on Friday
that the shootings were necessary because both men were armed and
dangerous.
"Yes, we shot dead the two but the shootings met with standard
procedures and were carried out for the public's safety," he told
reporters.
He explained that the alleged criminals were spotted by police
officers at the terminal after their female victim screamed for
help.
"The suspects, pretending to be passengers, earlier robbed
student, Fitri Fauzia, on a public minivan plying the Kampung
Melayu-Pulogadung route," Lubis said.
The officer quoted the girl as saying that the men boarded the
minivan when the vehicle entered the crowded bus terminal.
It was unclear how many people were inside the minivan when
the incident took place.
"The suspects then raised their sharp weapons at Fitri, who
told the two that she was only a student and had no money. In
fear of her life, the student then gave them her gold ring,"
Lubis said.
According to the officer, the suspects then got out of the
minivan, from which Fitri, by chance, saw a policeman, prompting
her to scream for help.
The girl's yell attracted the attention of police officers
patrolling the terminal, who rushed to the scene and attempted to
apprehend the suspects, Lubis said.
When police fired warning shots in the air, the two -- instead
of giving themselves up -- threatened the police while
brandishing weapons: a sickle and a pocket knife.
A similar incident took place at the Cawang interchange in
East Jakarta, late Tuesday, when police shot dead three alleged
armed street criminals caught red-handed extorting money from a
motorist.
Noegroho acknowledged that shooting street criminals on site
would not automatically curb the escalating crime wave which has
become a serious headache for many Jakartans.
"I therefore have asked related institutions to further
discuss the measures we should be taking to solve these problems
because I do believe that crimes always have a significant
relationship with another social aspects," he said without
elaborating.
He insisted that Thursday's shooting had nothing to do with a
recent raid held by police to round up hoodlums.
"The shooting just happened, the lives of police officers
assigned to safeguard the bus terminal were placed in a risky
situation by the crooks," Noegroho said.
From the morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, where
the bodies of Maruli and Rojani are undergoing postmortem
examinations, a female relative of Maruli deplored the police's
stern measures.
"I disagree with the shoot-on-sight order. What will be the
fate of his wife and child now that they have to survive without
a husband and father?" said the relative, who asked for
anonymity.
According to the woman, Maruli was married last August. His
wife is expecting their first child.
She admitted that the suspected robber, who arrived in Jakarta
three years ago, used to get drunk and was once sentenced to one
year in prison.
But, she added, Maruli had promised -- at a family reunion
held earlier this year -- to reform and begin a new life.
She said she had no idea why he broke that promise. (emf/ivy)