A

researcher and activist reported Depok Police officers for alleged assault on Sunday, having been beaten and falsely arrested on Saturday.

J.J. Rizal, history researcher and director of the cultural organization Komunitas Bambu, told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters that five officers had beaten him and threatened him with a gun on Saturday, the night before the police force celebrated its 60th anniversary.

He was returning home from Tebet in South Jakarta by train and got off at Pondok Cina Station in Depok at around 11:45 p.m. Rizal said five men, claiming to be police, then beat him in the torso and head.

"Two of them pointed a gun at me," he said as quoted by vivanews.com. "I spontaneously fought back because I thought I was a victim of a crime."

Rizal said that he was beaten in public and he cried for help to the security guards at Depok Town Square mall but was ignored.

The beatdown lasted around 15 minutes until a patrol car came and transported him to the Beji Police office in Depok. After questioning, police released him as they did not find evidence of a crime.

"We suspected him of having drugs. Apparently, there was none," Depok Police chief Adj. Comr. Sukardi said quoted by detik.com. He said five drug squad members in plainclothes were suspicious of Rizal. "When summoned, he ran. Thus, the beating," Sukardi said.

Rizal said that he suffered cut lips, a bloody nose, buzzing sounds in his ears, an aching jaw and two lumps on his head. He did a medical examination to collect evidence for a police investigation on Saturday night and is awaiting the scan results.

Rizal said that the Depok Police chief and the Beji Police chief came to his house and apologized. He said Sukardi told him the police beat him because he fought back.

He said that the incident could only be resolved through the legal system because the officers did not give him any time for explanations.

"I was ambushed. They hit a lot and talked little. The more I fought, the more I was beaten," he said.

Last month, officers from Limo Police in Depok shot a public minivan driver who was allegedly gambling. Depok Police's immediate reaction to public outrage was to say there was no violation of procedure; they fired two warning shots, then one shot at the suspect. Autopsy reports obtained by the media however revealed the dead suspect had three bullet wounds; the fatal one in his chest near the heart.

Police had raided the house in which Subagio bin Suparmo and three other drivers were gambling. Residents heard three gunshots. Police later took four people out of the house, including Subagio, who was suffering from gunshot wounds.