BANGKOK: A 29-year-old American man was arrested on Saturday morning, August 22nd, in Bangkok after allegedly stealing from a convenience store and slashing a Thai police officer responding to the scene in the neck with a box cutter, then fleeing leading to a pursuit. The suspect initially tested positive for methamphetamine.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. in the Suea Pa area of the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district. Police were alerted to a theft at a 7-Eleven store on Phadung Dao Road. Police Lieutenant Prasarn Somkanee, a traffic officer from Phra Ratchawang Police Station who was passing through the area on a motorcycle, intervened.
According to police and CCTV footage, the suspect attacked Lt. Prasarn with a yellow box cutter, striking him in the neck before fleeing toward Suea Pa Plaza. The injured officer received immediate assistance from colleagues and bystanders and was taken to Bangkok Metropolitan Administration General Hospital, where his condition was later described as stable.
Investigators from Metropolitan Police Division 6, supported by patrol and traffic units, located the suspect hiding in a temporary shelter near Suan Mali Circle and arrested him within 30 minutes of the attack. The box cutter believed to have been used in the assault was seized.
Police publicly identified the suspect as Alexander Troy Lopez, 29, an American national. During initial questioning he appeared confused and was not fully cooperative. Tourist Police interpreters assisted in English and Spanish. A preliminary urine test detected methamphetamine; further blood tests are pending to determine whether additional drug-related charges will be filed.
Lopez has been charged with attempted murder of an officer while on duty and a robbery-related offence. Authorities are examining his criminal record, immigration status, CCTV footage and witness statements as the investigation continues.
The case comes less than a month after a similar violent confrontation involving a foreigner and Bangkok police. On the 24th of July 2026, 34-year-old French national Ba Adam went on a knife rampage in the Suan Luang district, smashing shop windows, threatening residents and demanding money. When officers from Khlong Tan Police Station intervened, he slashed Police S0enior Sergeant Major Jarut Yaemsuan on the right calf. After two Taser deployments failed to stop him, police opened fire, striking Adam in the abdomen and both thighs. He later died from his injuries at Police General Hospital; the wounded officer was treated and reported stable.
Both incidents have led to calls from Thai nationals to tighten safety screening and visa reviews of foreign tourists and expats by relevant agencies.
