Two killed by man with sickle

JAKARTA (JP): A top police official has defended Tuesday's shooting of an allegedly insane man by security personnel.

Two people were killed during the incident in Pulogadung, East Jakarta, and three others were wounded.

According to city police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata yesterday, the shooting by police and military personnel was acceptable because they had no other option available at the time unless they wanted to see more people killed or wounded.

"In this case, if our officers did not shoot the man, the man might have wounded more people. After all, this man brutally killed a woman at the scene," said Hamami.

Junirin, 45, was shot by soldiers of a local garrison and police officers from the Pulogadung subprecinct near his home on Jl. Palad on Tuesday afternoon.

Ten bullets were removed from his legs but he was still alive, at least as of today, said city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang.

According to Aritonang, the law enforcers fired in an attempt to paralyze Junirin, who kept attacking the officers after sporadically trying to wound people around him with a sickle.

Prior to the arrival of the officers, Junirin first slashed Juriah, 45, and Sur, 50, he said.

Juriah died at the scene while Sur died later in Persahabatan hospital, Aritonang said.

Junirin then wounded an unidentified man, who was slashed with the sickle while trying to stop Junirin from attacking others, he said.

The unidentified victim is still being treated in hospital.

"So far, we strongly believe Junirin is insane. If not, how could he attack people just like that?" said the spokesman.

During the clash between Junirin and the officers, at least two men, Eko Mariko, 29, and Subur, 19, were wounded by soldiers' stray bullets.

"That was really an accident. The soldiers did not mean to shoot the two.

"But, sometimes a bullet ricochets," Aritonang said and expressed sympathy for the victims.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Junirin was involved in a heated argument with his wife, threatened to attack her with the sickle but left the house and started threatening and attacking other people, Aritonang said.

"But it isn't final yet. Everything is still under investigation," he said.

As of yesterday, Junirin was being detained at Pulogadung Police station for intense interrogation. (cst)