Police car rammed, two shots fired

TANAH MERAH – Police fired two shots at the tyres of a four-wheel drive vehicle driven by a man with 13 criminal records after the suspect rammed a police vehicle while attempting to evade arrest near a paddy field at Jalan Masjid Tok Che Dol here on Wednesday afternoon.

Tanah Merah District Police Department chief Superintendent Mohd Haki Hasbullah said the incident began at about 5.30pm when Tanah Merah District Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Department personnel spotted a suspicious Isuzu D-Max. The driver then sped off.

According to him, police chased the vehicle driven by the suspect, who is in his 50s, to the paddy field area.

“The suspect suddenly stopped the vehicle and acted aggressively by reversing at high speed, ramming the front of the police vehicle.

“Despite being ordered to exit, the suspect refused to cooperate and continued to try and hit the personnel by reversing the vehicle several times,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said following the dangerous act, the raiding officer directed personnel to fire shots at the rear tyres of the suspect’s vehicle.

“The first shot hit the rear right tyre, followed by a second shot to the rear left tyre after the suspect still refused to stop his aggressive actions.

“The action was taken in self-defence after the suspect acted aggressively,” he said.

Haki said the unemployed suspect was eventually arrested without any injuries and the vehicle was seized.

Checks revealed the suspect has 13 previous criminal records, and the case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.