KUALA TERENGGANU – A 29-year-old man, who ran amok armed with an axe, purportedly after failing to find money to buy drugs, was shot by police in his left thigh to subdue him in Kampung La Hulu Besut, here, on Sunday.
State CID chief ACP K. Manoharan said in the 6pm incident, the suspect who was also a drug addict, had gone to his uncle’s house to demand money to buy drugs, but was ignored by his uncle.
“It caused the unemployed man to run berserk with an axe and threatened to hurt the family of his uncle who became scared and lodged a police report at the Pasir Akar police station at 6.45pm following which three policeman arrived at scene 15 minutes later.
“When the police arrived, the suspect, who is also believed to be mentally ill, was behind the house and charged at the patrol car. He than repeated hamered the patrol car’s bonnet with the axe,” he told reporters in Kuala Terengganu, Monday.
Manoharan said when the police officers came out the car, the suspect tried to attack the officers but a lance corporal among them took out his pistol for self-defense purposes.
He said the suspect who was under the influence of drugs then became more aggressive and tried to act wild, causing the police to have no choice but to fire a shot to defend themselves.
“The policeman wanted to shoot at the suspect’s legs in the calf area but the shot hit his left thigh… the suspect then fled to his grandmother’s house not far from the scene before being arrested by the police.
“He is a hard-core addict and often disturbed his family members to get money, but yesterday when his demands were not be entertained, he turned aggressive,” he said.
Manoharan said the police seized the axe and that the suspect now was sent to the Besut hospital.
