Whoops! I shot a student, not a drug dealer...
Plainclothes police start shooting at 21-year old student's car during drug raid conducted by mistake. Police run away when her family shows up.
Plainclothes police start shooting at 21-year old student's car during drug raid conducted by mistake. Police run away when her family shows up.
Apisada Sajjapanroj, 21, a law student at Chulalongkorn University, shows her damaged car to deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen. The damage was done while she was trying to escape drug policemen shooting at her vehicle in a drug raid conducted by mistake. (Photos by Thanarak Khunton)
CRIME
Pongsapat transfers policemen who shot at student’s car
4/08/2014
Three Bang Chan policemen who shot at a female university student's car during a drug bust have been transferred pending an investigation, said deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen.
Speaking to the media about the incident, Pol Gen Pongsapat said the officers have been re-assigned to administrative positions.
Pol Sub-Lt Supot Toket, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Rassami Theptha and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chamnian Khandaeng have been assigned to work at police stations under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Police Division 4.
Pol Gen Pongsapat said the police force will take responsibility for damages, even though the student's family has not made any demands. Pol Gen Pongsapat was recently removed as head of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), where the three men worked.
The incident took place on Saturday when the officers, in pursuit of a drug suspect, mistook the car of Apisada Sajjapanroj, 21, a law student at Chulalongkorn University, for that of a drug dealer.
She was turning at an intersection on Ramkhamhaeng Soi 118 when she was overtaken and stopped by an unmarked police pickup.
The plainclothes police emerged from the vehicle and surrounded Ms Apisada's car, but did not identify themselves as policemen.
Ms Apisada reversed her car and collided with a Mercedes-Benz.
One of the undercover officers fired several shots at her tyres and she accelerated and crashed into several more vehicles before coming to a stop.
Ms Apisada was unharmed by the gunshots.
The police officers searched her car but found nothing and fled when her relatives arrived.
Pol Gen Ake Angsananont, deputy national police chief, admitted on Sunday that his officers had made a mistake and promised the three men would not escape responsibility.
He said they face both disciplinary and criminal investigations in connection with the incident.
Pol Gen Ake said police will hold talks with the student and her family to discuss damages and compensation. The family has asked the police to be more careful in the future.
Meanwhile, former Bangkok appointed senator Seri Suwanpanont demanded the officers involved in the shooting be sacked from the police force and prosecuted for malfeasance.
He said disciplinary action and compensation were not enough.
The ex-senator said the young woman could have been hurt or even killed.
He also called on the committee not to drag its feet and wait for the case to fade away.
"They should be fired and taken to court for malfeasance," he said.
"Something must be done to ensure that police officers take better precautions for safety while pursuing suspects in the future."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/423934/pongsapat-transfers-policemen-who-shot-at-student-s-car
The three policemen who botched the drug raid and fired at the car of an innocent university student gives wais of apology to deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen, until recently head of the office where the three worked.
สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/424327/whoops-i-shot-a-student-not-a-drug-dealer
