Policemen evacuated from Malangke
Policemen evacuated from Malangke
MALANGKE, South Sulawesi (JP): Tension gripped remote Malangke
in South Sulawesi on Tuesday following Sunday's arson attack on a
police station and several other police buildings in Malangke,
Luwu regency, some 450 kilometers north of Makassar.
Eighteen policemen from Malangke Police station, including
Malangke Police chief Second Insp. Baharuddin, and their families
were evacuated on Tuesday and taken to Luwu Police station, some
100 kilometers away.
Tight security was imposed in Malengke following the incident.
According to Luwu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Anjaya, the
evacuation was necessary to avoid further attacks as angry locals
were still searching for the policeman who accidentally shot a
boy dead.
Anjaya said they had questioned three policemen over the
shooting incident. Chief Badaruddin has been named a suspect in
the shooting, he added.
"Three detainees also escaped the Malangke Police jail during
the Sunday fray. Material losses are estimated at Rp 150
million," Anjaya said on Tuesday.
Parepare Regional Police chief Sr. Comr. Dadang Djuhuri, who
visited the scene on Tuesday, urged people to calm down and
promised to investigate the case thoroughly.
The incident took place at about 8 p.m. local time on Sunday
when a group of angry residents attacked the Malengke Police
station and set fire to buildings in the compound, including the
house of the Malengke Police chief.
All documents and case dossiers were destroyed in the fire and
at least 30 assembled Papporo guns stored as evidence apparently
went missing.
Information gathered on the field reveals that the residents
were upset by the fatal shooting of a boy from Cenning village in
the Malengke Barat area by a policeman from Malengke station.
The shooting took place when a group of officers chased an
assault suspect reported by a 30-year-old resident named Maryani
from Cenning on Sunday afternoon.
The suspect, who was with a group of youths, fled when he saw
the police searching the village. One of the officers fired
warning shots and a stray bullet hit a sleeping five-year-old boy
named Bullah. The boy died a gunshot to the head.
The boy's death sparked the anger of the residents who later
retaliated by burning the police station and other buildings.
(27/edt)