KUCHING, Jan 17: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has raised concerns over the increasing instances of police officers firing their guns when dealing with armed suspects or to terminate dangerous criminals in public places, instead of using physical apprehension that could avert loss of life and avoid putting the public in immediate danger.
PBK president Voon Lee Shan questioned whether police officers are reasonable in making assessment of the circumstances when resorting to using firearms to bring a suspect down, saying they are often fatal.
He claimed that officers would justify their actions by labelling the suspect they fired at as a threat, either because they are armed or a dangerous criminal with history of serious criminal activity.
“Police officers in particular are trained to deal with high-stress and crisis situations including when confronted by armed suspects in public. They are also equipped with protective gears such as bulletproof jackets and shields as well as snippers capable of precision targeting.
“In such incidences, the question is whether officers have exhausted all necessary measures to get the suspect to surrender before resorting to firearms, given that shooting should be avoided to prioritise public safety,” he said in a statement today.
His remarks were prompted by news of a wanted man with 14 serious criminal records getting killed in a shootout with cops in Puchong Prima, Selangor recently, which has triggered public concerns about safety and security.
Voon further questioned about law enforcement’s efforts to monitor and apprehend dangerous criminals with extensive records who are allowed to remain at large, with weapons.
Additionally, he also highlighted public apprehension regarding the necessity of shootings, advocating that if shootings do occur, their intention should be to subdue the suspect rather than cause death.
He called for the enactment or amendment of laws to ensure that all shooting incidents involving law enforcement officers and suspects are independently investigated by a body outside the law enforcement agency.
“Investigation should not be done by the law enforcement body itself, while the independent body should possess the power to bring matters to court for inquiry, to determine the reasonableness and justification of firing shots in specific circumstances.
“Shootings should not be justified just because the suspect has criminal records as individuals with such records have already served their sentences for past crimes,” he added. — DayakDaily
