Three more suspects killed for resisting police arrest

Three more suspects killed for resisting police arrest

JAKARTA (JP): Police shot dead three men, believed to be
criminals, yesterday for resisting arrest in North Jakarta and
South Jakarta, taking this month's death tally to at least nine.

Sgt. Nusirwan of the Penjaringan Police subprecinct said
police shot two brothers who tried to rob a woman on Jl. Muara
Baru at 2:00 a.m.

The two tried to escape after the woman screamed for help.
"Police had to shoot them as two warning shots were ignored," the
sergeant said.

Police identified the suspects as Tarsiwan alias Sarap, 29,
and Rusli, 20, residents of Jl. Kampung Berok, Penjaringan
district, in North Jakarta.

According to Nusirwan, the suspects died on the way to the
Kramatjati Police Hospital.

Tarsiwan was shot in the leg and head while Rusli was shot in
the leg and back, he said.

Saturday night the bodies of Tarsiwan and Rusli were still in
the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's morgue awaiting post
mortem examination.

The third victim was Kopral, 21, who was shot by police in
Ciputat, Tangerang.

A police officer at the South Jakarta Police precinct said the
police shot the suspect at a traditional market in Ciputat
because Kopral tried to escape.

Kopral, a suspected motorcycle thief, was arrested two weeks
ago, the officer said.

"He was asked to show the hideout of his accomplices in the
Ciputat market place. But he tried to escape instead."

The officer said that the shooting of Kopral was legal because
warning shots had been ignored. The victim was shot in the leg,
back and head.

Kopral and his three gang members were involved in several
motorcycle thefts. "The three other suspects are still at large."

Police announced Friday that four men had been shot dead for
resisting arrest Thursday and Friday.

Nimin Kosasih, 54, Samin, 34, and Yasan, 19, were gunned down
in East, South, and North Jakarta for involvement in various
vehicle thefts.

Another victim, Leonardo Defrede, a student, was shot dead
Thursday in East Jakarta for possessing 100 grams of dried
marijuana.

Police said that the shootings were conducted after warning
shots gad been ignored.

Two other men were shot dead last Tuesday in West Jakarta and
North Jakarta.

Jajang Munanjar, 29, was shot for robbing a bank employee on
Jl. Raya Sereal, West Jakarta, while Andi Hermawan alias Ojeng,
23, was shot dead after stealing a motorcycle in front of an
apartment in Sunter, North Jakarta.

According to informed sources police officers have been
ordered to kill ex-convicts and hard-core criminals.

They said the criminals were taken to a certain place and
ordered to escape before being shot. This speculation is based on
the fact that no one has witnessed a single police shooting.

Official statements always say that the criminals were shot
for resisting arrest and that the shootings were legal after two
warning shots had been given.

City Police Spokesman Maj. Nyoman Suriasta denied the rumors,
saying, the officers had to shoot the criminals because they
tried to fight the police or had resisted arrest.

"As I read from the police reports, the police shot dead the
criminals because they tried to escape or resist arrest," Nyoman
told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Last month City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said the
police always monitor newly released ex-convicts, who they
thought had the potential to reoffend at any time.

"Let's pray, the ex-jailbirds are hit by cars after getting
out of jail so they will stop committing crimes," Hamami said
jokingly.

Last year the police admitted to shooting dead 46 people.

Many people speculate that the recent shooting of alleged
criminals is the "rerun" of the mysterious shootings of the early
1980s.

Many criminals were found dead in the city. Their bodies were
dumped in a variety of places.

The mysterious shootings, called Petrus, drew strong reaction
from human rights activists. (jun)