PHUKET: A 25-year-old noodle vendor from Trang was shot and beaten by a Phuket Provincial Police officer on Bangla Rd, Patong, before dawn this morning (Feb 23).
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Pornsak Nuannu confirmed that the noodle vendor, Aroon Thongplab, is still alive but remains in intensive care at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Maj Gen Pornsak explained that police together with Kosuldharm rescue workers were called to the scene at about 6am.
Officers arrived to find Mr Aroon on the road in front of the 7-Eleven store on Bangla Rd.
He had been shot once in his left side of his stomach.
Mr Aroon was rushed to Patong Hospital and later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital, Maj Gen Pornsak explained.
While rescue workers were administering CPR to Mr Aroon, police found the shooter, Cpl Pornthep Channarong of the Phuket Provincial Police, standing nearby.
The officers took Cpl Pornthep to Patong Police Station for questioning.
Police also found at the scene a 9mm handgun, as well as nine bullet casings and two live bullets.
Witnesses at the scene told police that Cpl Pornthep was drunk and wanted to enter the Illusion nightclub, but the guard did not let him in as he was carrying a gun.
While the guard was blocking him from entering the club, Cpl Pornthep pointed his gun to the road and shot the noodle vendor who was walking past.
CCTV footage from cameras along Bangla Rd showed Mr Aroon suddenly fall to the ground and call out for help.
Cpl Pornthep walked up to Mr Aroon, pointed a handgun at him and fired at close range.
It appears that shot did not hit Mr Aroon.
After firing the gun, Cpl Pornthep walked back to in front of the nightclub.
The CCTV footage showed Mr Aroon keep begging for help, then collapse face-up on the ground, after which Cpl Pornthep ran up to Mr Aroon, spoke to him and slapped his face.
Cpl Pornthep is then seen pulling Mr Aroon’s by his right hand to pull him over to lean face forward on the ground, then he kicked Mr Aroon in the bottom.
Maj Gen Pornsak told the press today that police are investigating the scene and collecting evidence at the scene.
Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabodi declined to reveal details of the investigation so far, saying that the information given by Cpl Pornthep was confusing “as he was still drunk”.
Maj Gen Naphanwut Liamsa-nguan of the Region 8 Police explained that Cpl Pornthep had already been ordered to transfer from Phuket Provincial Police to Region 8 Police before the shooting this morning.
Cpl Pornthep and other officers were scheduled to report themselves at the Region 8 Police headquarters at 1pm today, Maj Gen Naphanwut said.
Maj Gen Naphanwut did not reveal why Cpl Pornthep had already been transferred.
Drunken Phuket police officer shoots noodle vendor on Bangla Rd