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)