R

esidents set fire to two police stations in Muara Rupit and Rawas Ulu districts in Musi Rawas regency, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, South Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Wednesday.

It is believed that the residents torched the police stations out of anger because the police had shot dead a robbery suspect.

'€œWe believe it is related to the shooting of robbery suspect Erlika,'€ said Saud in Palembang, adding that there were no fatalities in the incidents.

The South Sumatra Police have deployed Mobile Brigade (Brimbob) units and have requested for Army reinforcement in neighboring Bengkulu and Jambi provinces as well.

'€œWe urge residents to not be easily provoked so that the situation in Musi Rawas remains safe,'€ said Saud.

The Musi Rawas Police have recently received numerous reports of carjackings from Muara Rupit residents.

'€œErlika resisted arrest and opened fired on police officers with makeshift firearms, forcing the officers to take action,'€ said Saud.

Musi Rawas Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Erlangga said Erlika'€™s partner, Syaiful, managed to escape.

'€œWe'€™ve had our eyes on both suspects as they often carried out robberies on the Trans-Sumatra Highway,'€ he said.

After setting fire to the two police stations, the mob, who came from the same village as Erlika, blocked the Trans-Sumatra Highway, causing severe congestion.

Earlier on April 29, Muara Rupit police station was also set ablaze by residents who demanded the establishment of a North Musi Rawas regency. Four people were killed in a clash with police officers.

Amzulian Rifai, a law profesor at Sriwijaya University, said such actions could not be legally justified. '€œThe police must take stern action against the culprits.'€

 '€œThe police have to evaluate their methods. I suspect that the public no longer respects the police,'€ he said.