Phuket Police officer beaten in mass brawl as suspect resists arrest

PHUKET: Police in Cherng Talay are on the lookout for an unknown number of suspects after a senior officer was badly beaten and a squad of at least five other policemen suffered minor injuries while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Monday.

Cherng Talay Deputy Superintendent Sommai On-khum regained consciousness at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town on Monday to discover he had suffered a broken tooth and extensive bruising to his face and legs.

“The last thing I remember was that I was with other officers at the football field about 300 meters from the Cherng Talay Tesco Lotus store trying to serve an arrest warrant,” Lt Col Sommai told the Phuket Gazette.

“The man we found there, Cherng Talay resident Virat Plabphet, 36, was wanted for robbery and carrying an unlicensed gun in public.

“As I presented the arrest warrant to the suspect and talked to him, I was kicked in the back by someone and I fell to the ground,” Col Sommai said.

“I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up and found myself in hospital,” he added.

Cherng Talay Superintendent Col Chanuchan Cholsuwat told the Gazette that his officers were not even sure how many suspects were involved in the brawl.

“Most of the other officers suffered minor injuries, mostly bruises, in the incident,” he said.

Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commanders Col Saneh Yawila and Col Peerayuth Karachedi visited Col Sommai in hospital this morning.

Joining them were Col Chanuchan and fellow Cherng Talay police officers.

Col Peerayuth noted that police officers always took such risks in the line of duty.

“We are now looking for the suspect and his friends and we will press serious charges against them,” he vowed.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong