Attempted murder suspect stabs Thai police officer during arrest

A Thai man stabbed a police officer during an arrest for attempted murder in the Isaan province of Phichit yesterday, August 1.

The injured police officer, Pairat Saenamart, and an investigating team from Mueang Phichit Police Station discovered the wanted suspect, 40 year old Manit Chimthong, hiding in a house in the Tha Luang sub-district in Phichit after a previous murder attempt in the central province of Uthai Thani.

Pairat and his team members raided the suspect’s house yesterday August 1 and found Manit lying in a room. While Pairat was about to arrest and handcuff Manit, the suspect pulled out an eight-inch knife and suddenly stabbed Pairat in the chest.

Other police officers rushed to apprehend Manit and successfully arrested him. Officers then called the support and rescue teams to the scene to send Pairat to Phichit Hospital. Pairat was seriously injured but is now in a stable condition.

Manit was initially charged with attempted murder but the charge for the attack on the police officer has not yet been revealed. For the attempted murder charge, Manit will face half the murder punishment charge under Section 288 of the Criminal Law: the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.

In a similar report in December of last year, a drug-addicted Thai man stabbed a police officer to death when the officer intervened in his rampage in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom.

Another related incident was reported in the same year when a police officer was shot dead during a high-speed chase with a suspect on a motorcycle.

In July this year, a police officer was shot dead during an arrest of a drug suspect in the Chiang Dao district in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Another police officer was injured in this case.

Another traffic police officer was killed on duty in April when a drunk taxi driver crashed his car into the officer on the Phahonyothin Road in the Bang Khen district of Bangkok.