(Warta Kota/Bintang Pradewo via Kompas
Jakarta police officers have shot dead on Friday a man who was suspected of raping and mugging a woman on a pedestrian bridge in South Jakarta last weekend.
Jakarta Police's general crimes directorate chief Sr. Comr. Krishna Murti said on Friday that the officers had shot the man in the chest.
Police tried to apprehend the man, who has only been identified by the initials ITH, around Jalan Wijaya in South Jakarta on Friday morning.
Krishna said police opened fire as he had tried to escape and fought officers during the arrest. His body is currently undergoing an autopsy in the National Police Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta.
ITH was suspected of having committed several assaults, Krishna said.
"He has often been involved in assault cases, but the victims did not report him. He has also been in jail for battery and cellphone theft," he said as reported by Antara news agency.
ITH was released from prison in November last year after being found guilty of assault and mugging.
In the most recent case, he was suspected of raping and strangling a 23 woman passing the footbridge in Pondok Indah area on Saturday afternoon after mugging her and taking her money and mobile phone.
The pedestrian bridge does not experience a lot of foot traffic and is not well lit. In the wake of the incident, the Jakarta administration said that it planned to install more lights and closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras on Jakarta footbridges. (rin)(+)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.