National —
A police inspector turned gunman who repeatedly fired his gun in the residential area of Bangkok’s Sai Mai district since yesterday has finally been apprehended after hours of standoff.
First our previous story:
Now for our update:
Police officers have cordoned off Soi Jiramakorn located north of Bangkok since yesterday, March 14th, after a male police officer suddenly went berserk and fired multiple shots in a residential area.
The cop-turned-gunman has been identified as Pol. Lt. Col. Kitikarn Sangbun, 51, an inspector with the Special Branch Police’s intelligence unit. Police commandos and SWAT officers were circling his house and had used tear gas and stunt grenades to try to subdue the man after multiple negotiation attempts had been in vain.
On Wednesday, March 15th, Thai media reported that one SWAT officer was shot in the head by the cop, but the bullet did not penetrate his helmet. There have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities as of press time.
Sai Mai police superintendent Rangsan Sornsing said officer Kitikarn has a history of mental illness. He started firing his handgun from his house when his colleagues attempted to take him to the hospital to treat his mental health issues after he had not come to work for days.
When his colleagues arrived with an ambulance, however, the cop fired shots through the door, sending the crew scurrying for cover.
Kitikarn’s neighbors revealed that they often heard him getting into an argument with someone over the phone and sometimes he would fire shots into the air, causing panic in the neighborhood. His motive remains unclear.
According to the latest report, the suspect has been arrested around 2 PM today after he jumped off his home’s window to try to escape. He was transferred to a hospital following the arrest.
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