A police sergeant went crazy and shot a vegetable vendor, causing injuries. Officers had to surround him for more than 2 hours before he surrendered. At 06.00 yesterday, the special operations unit of the investigation division of the Mahasarakham Provincial Police surrounded and arrested Pol. L.t. Somporn, aged 52, after he shot and injured a vegetable vendor on a sidecar in Ban Yang, Tambon Mittraphap, Amphoe Ka Dam, Mahasarakham Province. Officers tried to persuade him and surrounded Pol. L.t. Somporn, who was walking back and forth in front of the house with a gun. Then, there were the sounds of gunshots into the sky at intervals. After 2 hours, the special operations unit tightened the area until Pol. L.t. Somporn ran back into the house. They then talked to him until he agreed to put down his gun and surrender. He was then taken to Ka Dam Police Station. Mr. Ari, 69, a vegetable vendor who rode a sidecar into the village to sell vegetables, was shot and injured in the left shoulder and had a laceratio n on his neck. He was taken to the hospital. Mr. Samrit Sonjai, the village headman of Yang, said that Pol. Sgt. Somporn is a mental patient who has been cured after taking medication for a while. He had a previous incident where he shot his brother-in-law 10 years ago. So the family doesn't let him carry a gun anymore. However, the villagers saw Pol. Sgt. Somporn the night before at around 9:00 p.m. at a noodle shop where villagers were drinking. Pol. Sgt. Somporn came out with a gun but didn't do anything. After a while, he went home. Then in the morning, he went on a rampage, shooting at a vegetable vendor, a dog, and shooting into the air. The police had to be called to stop the incident. The neighbors were terrified and feared that he would be killed. Ordered to resign from the civil service, "Police Sergeant" went crazy, presumably due to lack of psychiatric medication. Pol. Col. Ponchai Chaloadet, Commander of Maha Sarakham Provincial Police, revealed that from questioning Pol. Sgt. Somporn, it was learned that he was a mental patient and had not taken his medication for 2 days. At the same time, a neighbor came to light a fire and smoke floated into the house, causing him to become irritated and violent, threatening to hurt his wife and children, to the point that he could not live with them and had to flee the house the day before. Yesterday morning, he came to shoot and injure a vegetable vendor. Currently, Ka Dam Police Station has taken Pol. Sgt. Somporn to be treated at Khon Kaen Psychiatric Hospital. As for disciplinary matters, he has been temporarily suspended from the service because his offenses are clear. As for the criminal case, 2 charges have been filed: attempted murder and carrying a firearm in the village without permission. The chief of the survey station has been emphasized to take good care of his subordinates. Source: Thai News Agency
