Police have arrested a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer, identified as First Brig
olice have arrested a Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer, identified as First Brig. WW, over a deadly attack on a security guard at the Seribu Ruko shop house complex in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, on Tuesday evening.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Wednesday the incident happened after WW scolded the security guard, Bachrudin, for not being at his post when he visited the shop houses that the latter was responsible for guarding.
WW, an active officer at Brimob headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok, was assigned by the head of the complex's security to discipline his members with a fee of Rp 300,000 (US$26.66) per month, he added.
Rikwanto said WW had ordered Bachrudin to do push-ups to redeem his mistake, but the victim did not obey.
'The victim felt he had not made a mistake as he was in the restroom when WW arrived,' he added.
WW then drew his revolver to intimidate Bachrudin to do what he wanted him to do. He pulled the gun's trigger, assuming incorrectly that the weapon's chamber was empty. He shot Bachrudin in the chest, killing him instantly.
'WW headed back to his office and told his peers about the incident. He then turned himself in to the West Jakarta Police,' said Rikwanto.
The incident is just one of several cases that have triggered conflict among policemen or with the Indonesian Military (TNI).
On Oct. 27, Brimob officer Brig. M. Syarif Mappa was stabbed to death by a minibus driver assistant named Mustakim, who felt intimidated by Syarif.
Syarif yelled at Mustakim for not waking him up before the bus reached its final destination at Pasar Minggu bus terminal. He told Mustakim to be respectful to a Brimob officer. It led to a fight in which Mustakim drew a knife he kept on the bus and stabbed Syarif.
On Oct. 18, a number of Brimob officers were involved in a fight with some army personnel in the lobby of Venus Karaoke in Depok, West Java, after army member Second Sgt. Cholil reportedly greeted Brimob officer Second Brig. Sugandi as a waiter. Both of them reportedly stabbed each other.
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane said the violence should encourage newly installed National Police chief Comr. Gen. Sutarman to look for solutions.
'The new police chief should make a breakthrough to reduce the arrogance of his officers,' he said. 'He should also formulate a new rule about which officers may keep guns and which may not.'
Meanwhile, National Police Brimob chief Insp. Gen. M. Rum Murkal, shrugged off the allegation that WW was moonlighting as a security supervisor at the commercial district prior to the shooting.
'[WW]'s house is near the shop-houses. He is a resident there. Some said he often hung around the location,' Rum said at National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Wednesday.
Rum underlined that any police officer was prohibited from taking a side job.
He pledged to conduct an evaluation in the wake of the shooting incident.
'We will carry out an evaluation, both on a personnel and organizational level. We need to determine whether the accident was incited by the procedure or whether it was the officer's personal matter,' he added. (koi)
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