Security guard assaulted for stopping student brawl

JAKARTA (JP): A security guard, who tried to break up a student brawl Tuesday, was slashed with a machete yesterday in an alleged act of retaliation.

A shop attendant, who witnessed the attack, said about 50 students threatened the security guard with metal rulers, chains and machetes and chased him down the street.

The guard, Rokhmudin, 35, was treated at a nearby medical clinic for wounds to his arm and released a few hours later.

South Jakarta Police said they were searching for the students involved in the attack.

Rokhmudin said he believed his attackers were the students he scolded Tuesday during a brawl in front of his office, PT AW, on Jl. Panglima Polim 35.

"I tried to separate them because there were dozens of them in one group and only five in the other.

"I scolded the larger group of students because they were throwing stones in the direction of my office and some of the stones were hitting cars parked there.

"I told the big group not to throw stones and to leave the site. But they got mad at me and threatened to attack me when I grabbed one of them."

Another security guard at the premises, Sutarmin, said that about 50 students, dressed in junior and senior high school uniforms, surrounded the office about 1:30 p.m. yesterday.

"Rokhmudin was standing near the parking lot. A student came by and accused him of beating his brother on Tuesday and suddenly punched him," Sutarmin said.

"Rokhmudin ran away and took refugee in a bank across the street. The students ran away only after a soldier came out of the bank."

Police said a metal ruler and a bag dropped in the office's parking lot had been seized as evidence.

"But the ruler, which had been sharpened, is apparently not the weapon used to stab the victim," an officer said. (cst)