Two men injured trying to stop fight

JAKARTA (JP): Two men, attempting to stop an altercation between residents of Kebon Pala in East Jakarta and three alleged chicken thieves, were wounded on Thursday.

The wounded victims were identified as Suparjono, 52, and Nanang, 24. Both men are residents of Cawang in East Jakarta, city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Friday.

Lubis said that Suparjono received a head injury while Nanang suffered from slash wounds to his head and hands.

"Nanang is still being treated at Soekanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta," he said.

The incident took place at around 11 p.m. when the two victims, riding on a motorcycle, were passing through Kebon Pala.

"When they passed the neighborhood, there was a quarrel between local residents and three alleged chicken thieves, identified as Usep, 50, Narun, 25, and Yadi, 22," Lubis said, adding that the three men were caught stealing chickens owned by nearby residents.

One of the residents, Hotman, attempted to force the alleged thieves to return the chickens to their owners. Instead of returning the chickens, the three men pulled sickles from beneath their shirts and challenged the residents to a fight.

When the two victims saw the dispute they attempted to stop it, Lubis said.

"The two were trying to prevent the fight by jumping between the thieves and the angry residents."

However, instead of ending the fight the two victims became the targets of anger, he said.

Local police who later arrived at the scene dispersed the residents and arrested the three alleged chicken thieves.

None of the residents were arrested during the incident. (emf)