Green light to fire at drug dealer who shot dead police office
AROUND 200 police officers from various units are hunting for a drug dealer who shot dead their colleague just as he approached his hut in the middle of a rubber plantation in Loei province with permission given to open fire at him in self-defence if a gunfight breaks out, Amarin TV said this evening (Apr. 10).
At 3.20 p.m. Pol. Lt. Kamonrat Phrommat, deputy chief for investigation at Mueang Loei police station, was informed that Pol. Lt. Pairoj Phrom-in, also a deputy chief for investigation of this station, had been killed and quickly took a team to the rubber plantation together with forensic officers, volunteers from Thewa Foundation and a doctor from Loei Hospital.
They found Pol. Lt. Pairoj’s body lying on the ground around five metres from the hut. He had been shot with a 9mm pistol in the chest with the bullet exiting through his back.
The gunman is Mr. Boonkeat Singhdecha, 33, a resident of this province had fled with the pistol deeper into the plantation.
Forensic police found a 9mm bullet casing nearby and the suspect’s flip-flops. Within the hut they found a long barrel pistol, a short barrel pistol and a rifle plus four bullets as well as five packages holding a total of approximately 1,000 methamphetamine pills.
Investigation revealed that the deceased policeman accompanied by three colleagues went to the hut to investigate because it was known that the suspect, who was released from jail over a year ago, had been selling drugs.
As they walked towards it Boonkerd ran out and fired two shots from a pistol at the police team with one hitting Pol. Lt. Pairoj in the chest killing him on the spot. The gunman ran off but after a distance of 20 metres turned and fired another shot at the police team. They fired back but did not hit him.
They also found out that the suspect later reached a road where he called his friends to pick him up and help him escape. He had been jailed twice before with the first time being for drug dealing and the second time producing and selling firearms.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, commander of Provincial Police Region 4, flew by helicopter to inspect the scene of murder and ordered 200 officers, including SWAT commandos, to hunt down the suspect. As he is armed should a gunfight break out policemen were told they could fire at him in self-defence
Photos: Amarin TV
This report was originally published by www.thainewsroom.com
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