Nong bua lamphu: A drunk man who went on a rampage and shot a police sergeant, a village headman, and a deputy police chief in Nong Bua Lamphu, injuring them, has been arrested after authorities cordoned off a sugarcane field at the edge of the village for over 20 hours.
According to Thai News Agency, Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Police, along with a special operations unit from the Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Administration, jointly arrested Mr. Montree, 38, in a sugarcane field at the end of Huai Ham Tang Village, Pa Mai Ngam Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province. Hundreds of officers had been deployed to surround and pursue him since morning. Initially, Mr. Montree gave a vague and inconsistent statement, admitting that he was drunk and was the perpetrator.
The incident began when Mr. Montree used a .22 caliber rifle to shoot Mr. Itthiphon, the village headman, who was trying to stop him from drinking alcohol and causing a disturbance to the villagers. The bullet struck Mr. Itthiphon in the back and left thigh, causing internal injuries, and he was sent to Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital for treatment.
Community leaders attempted to negotiate with Mr. Montree, who had fled to his house, but he repeatedly fired back. Even when Pol. Col. Krit Pattala, Deputy Commander of Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Police, arrived to negotiate, he was met with gunfire, sustaining a bruise from a bullet that grazed his right calf. Authorities then cordoned off the house and used a vehicle with lights to pressure Mr. Montree to surrender. Late in the night, he managed to escape and hide in a sugarcane field at the end of the village, where authorities eventually apprehended him.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Kraisutra Thaboran, Commander of Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Police, stated that the arrest involved a combined force from various parties. The Commander of Provincial Police Region 4 dispatched officers with modern equipment to assist in the pursuit. Investigators from Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Police, Muang Nong Bua Lamphu Police Station, and Nong Bua Lamphu Provincial Administrative Organization officials cordoned off the area. Following tactical guidelines, the suspect was captured without further casualties. Charges of attempted murder of a police officer on two separate counts and carrying a firearm without permission have been filed, and legal proceedings will follow.