Vengeful cop shoots student after quarrel
Vengeful cop shoots student after quarrel
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh
A chemical engineering student died six hours after an angry
police officer shot him in the head following a quarrel and short
motorcycle chase involving the two here on Thursday.
Emergency surgery conducted by doctors at Zainal Abidin
Hospital failed to save the life of Muhammad Iqbal, 23, a student
at Syah Kuala University's school of chemical engineering. Iqbal
never regained consciousness after he was shot at noon.
Provincial police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dede Ahmad said the
officer shot Iqbal near the Kampung Ateuk intersection after a
pursuit on motorbikes which began in front of the Baitturrahman
Grand Mosque, where Iqbal allegedly struck the officer.
Witnesses said the vengeful officer shot Iqbal from close
range while riding his Honda GL-Pro which did not have a
registration number. The bullet pierced his temple.
While the officer fled, people near the scene of the incident
rushed Iqbal to the Military Hospital.
Ahmad refused to identify the officer, who is now apparently
in the custody of the provincial military police.
"He breached the procedures and will face stern measures,"
Ahmad said.
He added that the police chief, Insp. Gen. Jusuf Manggabarani,
had apologized to the family of Iqbal and would cover all
expenses resulting from the incident.
The body of Iqbal was taken to his family's home in Deah Boro
village in the eastern suburb of Banda Aceh. His burial is
expected to take place on Friday.
None of his family members or relatives would comment on the
fatal shooting. Many Acehnese have become accustomed to brutal
treatment from security forces and prefer not to comment for fear
of further brutality.
Meanwhile, a local military officer said on Thursday that
security troops had killed 12 separatist rebels grouped under the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Eight of them shot dead in a 30-minute
armed clash in Alam Jeumpa, West Aceh district on Wednesday.
The provincial military spokesman Maj. Zaenal Muttaqin also
said three guerrillas were killed and three more arrested in a
military ambush at Mereu in Aceh Besar district on Wednesday.
However, a GAM spokesman stated that the 11 were innocent
civilians.
Muttaqin said another suspected rebel was shot and killed at
Kampung Blang in North Aceh on Wednesday. He claimed a handgun
and two home-made bombs were seized.
Security personnel have stepped up attacks against all
suspected separatist-minded Acehnese following a recent series of
kidnappings, arson attacks and murders which have been blamed on
GAM.
At least 50 people have been taken hostage, allegedly by the
rebels, over the past four months. More than 30 of have since
been released.