A mentally ill man committed suicide after shooting dead a police lieutenant colonel who was attempting to negotiate an end to a family hostage drama at a house in Bang Bon district, Bangkok, early Sunday morning.
Police rushed to a three-storey building in DK Rama 2 housing estate on Rama II Road at 9.45pm on Saturday after being informed that a deranged gunman was holding family members hostage there, according to the Royal Thai Police Office.
Pol Lt Col Kittichon Janyarom, 59, deputy chief of Tha Kham police station, and his team approached the building to open negotiations.
Pol Lt Col Kittichon was shot three times in his chest and hand, and was later pronounced dead at Mali Hospital. His subordinate, a police senior sergeant major, was slightly injured.
Daughter pistol-whipped
After the shooting, police rescued family members from the house, including a 15-year-old daughter who had been hit in the face with a gun.
The daughter said her father had four guns including a shotgun as well as ammunition.
A rescue worker said that last month that colleagues had sent the man to a mental health facility at the request of local police, and the man had threatened to hurt rescue workers at that time.
It was reported that the man had not been treated and had failed to take his prescribed medications for a year.
Overnight, police told neighbours to stay indoors for their own safety while they were trying to calm the gunman down.
Police officers used a loudspeaker to negotiate with the man and gunshots were heard at times from the inside. Events transpired as follows:
- At 3.00am police used a robot to survey the scene.
- At 4.40am the gunman fired one shot.
- At 5.20-5.27am police fired five teargas shots into the bulding.
- At 5.28am four gunshots were heard.
- At 5.29-5.35am police fired six gunshots.
- At 5.38am there were one gunshot and one blank grenade explosion.
- At 5.40-5.49am there were eight gunshots.
- At 5.51am police called ambulances to the building and cordoned it off while waiting for forensic science officers.
The gunman, 49, was identified only as Boonma. He was found dead on a mezzanine.
Police then told neighbours through a loudspeaker that the situation had ended and they could resume their routines.
The moment when police rush into the building from the left side of the entrance, a second before a police lieutenant colonel was shot. (Screenshot)
Pol Lt Col Kittichon Janyarom (photo: Royal Thai Police Office)
Police cordoned off the scene for public safety. (Photo supplied)
