Man Shot After Trying To Attack Police With Machete

KOTA BHARU, April 9 (Bernama) -- A man with multiple criminal records was injured after being shot when he attempted to attack police officers with a machete in front of Universiti Teknologi MARA Machang last night.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said police had earlier received information about a shooting at the location at 11.17 pm.

Following the report, a team from the Machang district police headquarters, who were conducting crime prevention patrols, rushed to the scene for further inspection.

“While checks were being carried out on two men found behaving suspiciously, one of them acted aggressively by pulling out a machete and swinging it at the policemen,” he said in a statement today.

He said the officers were forced to fire several shots at the suspect in self-defence and to prevent serious injury.

According to him, the suspect, who was shot in the thigh, managed to flee before being apprehended in a swift operation in a nearby area.

“The suspect is currently receiving treatment in hospital and reported to be in stable condition. He has been remanded for seven days,” he said, adding that no injuries were reported among the police personnel involved.

However, the second suspect fled the scene, and police are actively working to track him down.

He said further checks at the scene led to the seizure of a machete believed to have been used by the injured suspect.

“Among the suspect’s criminal records are offences involving dangerous drugs, criminal intimidation, offences related to corrosive substances, explosives and dangerous weapons, obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties, and domestic violence,” he said.

Mohd Yusoff added that the case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

Meanwhile, a group of UiTM Machang students went through a tense moment when they scrambled to safety after hearing gunshots about 50 metres from where they were at an eatery last night.

Semester 4 Diploma in Information Management student Adam Haqimie Rosli, 21, said that at about 11 pm, he and six friends were chatting over drinks when they saw a police officer chasing a man.

“We then heard popping sounds, which we initially thought were firecrackers before realising they were gunshots.

“Once we realised the actual situation, we immediately ran into the shop to take cover,” he told reporters at the scene today.

Restaurant owner Shahida Ramli, 27, said that at the time of the incident, she and about 10 workers were serving customers, most of whom were UiTM students.

She said the situation turned chaotic when customers realised that an individual was being chased by police in the area.

Shahida said she learnt that the two men had come to the area to withdraw money from an ATM near the main entrance of UiTM.

“One of the suspects, who was on a motorcycle, managed to escape, while the other was detained after being shot in the thigh,” she said.

According to her, the detained suspect is believed to have fallen into a drain about two metres deep across the road while attempting to flee.

-- BERNAMA