Policeman dies while saving thief

Policeman dies while saving thief

Jakarta: An Indonesian policeman died and five other officers were injured when their speeding getaway car smashed into a telephone pole while rescuing an alleged thief from an angry mob, news reports said on Thursday.

The accident occurred on Wednesday in Makassar, South Sulawesi, 1,350 kilometers east of Jakarta, said Antara.

Police Second Brigadier Asruddin, the victim, was one of six policemen who went to investigate a case of mob justice against a robber, who had allegedly been caught red-handed.

The officers, all fresh graduates from the Makassar Police Academy, managed to rescue the alleged thief from the mob and shoved him into their car.

While rushing back to police headquarters at high speed, the driver lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a telephone pole and the curb before coming to a halt in a canal.

All passengers were thrown from the car in the crash, and Asruddin died from his injuries at a nearby hospital.

Mob justice is quite common in Indonesia, where rural communities often have little trust in the police's ability to capture criminals and bring them to trial. -- DPA