Police in hot pursuit of suspected cop killers

The Bogor Police are hunting four suspects who allegedly killed a Mobile Brigade officer in a foiled robbery attempt.

The police have set up a special investigation team to handle the case under the direct supervision of the West Java Police, Bogor Police chief detective Adj. Comr. Zulkarnain Harahap said.

Zulkarnain told The Jakarta Post that he intended to arrest the suspects quickly.

Police Mobile Brigade First Brig. Merry Asmara was shot to death early Monday while he was staying the night at the home of Eem Yulianti, the owner of a car dealership in Bogor.

Four assailants broke into the house. One of the suspects picked up Merry’s revolver and shot Merry at point blank range.

“After shooting the victims the suspect took off, taking the gun with him,” Zulkarnain said.

Bogor Police have questioned 10 witnesses in the case.

The body of Merry is now at the Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta for an autopsy.

The shooting of Merry was not the only incident of gun-violence in Greater Jakarta over the weekend.

On Sunday, police in Cibubur engaged in a gunfight with a suspected auto thief, identified as Herman.

The police had been tipped off that Herman, a member of an auto theft gang, would engage in transaction involving a stolen car.

When police attempted to arrest Herman, the suspect fled in his car. The police made chase, during which the suspect and the police exchanged fire. One police officer was injured.

Herman was arrested and brought into custody after he lost control of his car and hit a curb.

On Monday, an angry motorist fired shots into a TransJakarta bus in Pluit, North Jakarta. The motorist, who was in the busway lane, which is banned to all private vehicles, appeared unwilling to wait as the bus dropped off passengers at a stop.

The suspect fired five shots into the bus, with at least one shot aimed toward the gas tank. However, the bullets did not ignite the fuel.

Having learned the man’s vehicle license plate number from the busway driver, the Police arrested the suspect at his home in North Jakarta, where they found a large stash of illegal drugs.