Youth shot in second gang outrage

Legacy Phuket GazetteThursday, January 22, 2004Last Updated: Thursday, January 22, 2004

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CHERNG TALAY: A crowd of about 100 people massed outside Cherng Talay Police Station last night after an incident in which a young gang member shot a teenager from another gang in the leg. The victim, Jittisak “Sak” Tamtorpol, 18, was wounded at about 9:30 pm while sitting outside a mosque near his home, not far from Surin beach, said Pol Cpl Theerawong Watasang of Cherng Talay Police Station. Police believe the shooting was the result of a struggle between rival gangs. Tension was increased when a police officer drew his gun during the protest. A senior police officer, who declined to give his name, told the Gazette that this incident was the result of a misunderstanding. According to the officer, scores of K. Sak’s friends and neighbors gathered outside to urge police to arrest his attackers. Someone shouted that two members of the rival gang were in the crowd. With that, two young men fled – one on a motorcycle, the other on foot. About 20 youths pursued the man on foot. A traffic policeman, thinking that rival gangs were about to fight, pulled his gun and ordered the crowd to stand still. Some of the crowd were angry at this, accusing the police of siding with the suspects and allowing them to escape. Today, officers led by Pol Capt Prakorb Boonkwan of Cherng Talay Police Station were searching for eight youths who pulled up on motorcycles at the mosque where Sak was sitting with about 10 friends just before the shooting. Sak is now recovering in Wachira Hospital. Last night’s incident is the second instance of teen gang violence in five days. On Saturday a 15-year-old boy was abducted by other teenagers who took him to a beach on Koh Sireh and killed him.