Trigger happy officer wanted

JAKARTA (JP): Police are hunting for a police officer who shot a senior high school student on Sunday morning in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. M. Ibrahim said the shooter of James Sumampauw, 17, could be an officer from the Kemayoran Police, the Central Jakarta Police, or the City Police.

The crime, in which the victim survived, took place on Jl. Benyamin Sueb. James will be asked to identify the officer.

"We will show the victim pictures of police officers who were on duty that morning," Ibrahim said yesterday.

He said if found guilty, the officer could be court- martialled.

Anonymous witnesses said three police patrol officers tried to disperse several youths who were racing motorcycles in the area.

They said James, a student of PSKD senior high school, was caught and beaten by one of the officers.

A witness said the officer ordered James to run before shooting him. A relative of James said he was shot in the stomach.

James' brother, Yance Sumampauw, said James was beaten and then shot by the officer. "He is a good boy. He was never involved in motorcycle races.

"We will sue the police for shooting my brother. Even if he was in a race, the officer had no right to shoot him," Yance said at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

He said James told his mother he was going to his friend's home at 5 a.m. "My mother received a call, saying James was shot at 6 a.m."

James who lives on Jl. Kebon Bawang, North Jakarta, was recovering yesterday. (jun)