CHILD, 9, SHOT DEAD

Three Investigators Charged With Murder

City police have pressed murder charges against three drug investigators
who allegedly sprayed bullets at a car killing a nine-year-old boy who was
inside.

Pol Lt-Gen Damrongsak Nilkuha, city police chief, said Nang Lerng police
had filed murder charges against Pol Sgt-Maj Pipat Saen-in, Pol Sgt Panumas
Chanakham and Pol L/Cpl Anusorn Taensuwan, attached to the investigation
unit of Bang Chan police.

They were freed on bail after Pol Col Nipon Pupansri, deputy commander of
city police division 4, went to guarantee.

The three officers are accused of firing shots into a Honda Accord sedan
owned by drug suspect Sathaporn Srisa-ard. His wife Pornwipa Kerdrungruang
and their nine-year-old son Chakkapan were in the car.

Pol Maj-Gen Thirasak Nguanbanjong, head of city police division 1, said
three other policemen were present at the scene, but they played no role in
the shooting.

Police believed Mr Sathaporn and Mrs Pornwipa were drug dealers, he said.
They persuaded a drug-gang member arrested earlier to help trap them.

On Sunday night the couple travelled in the Honda to Saphan Khao in the Lan
Luang area to conclude a drug deal with the informer.

Mr Sathaporn left the car to hand over the pills and police grabbed him.
Mrs Pornwipa saw her husband's arrest and tried to drive off. The three
policemen, who had surrounded the vehicle, opened fire but denied shooting
into the car, he said.

Mrs Pornwipa then fled on foot but her son had received fatal multiple
gunshot wounds and died on the spot.

Pol Lt-Gen Damrongsak said Pol Maj-Gen Chakthip Kunchorn na Ayutthaya,
deputy city police chief, would head the investigation. Initial reports
said the sedan's windows were heavily tinted, making it hard to see who was
inside.

Pol Maj-Gen Chakthip said the three officers claimed the fatal shots were
fired by a gunman who escorted the couple to the scene. The officers'
handguns would be sent to the forensic crime division for checks.

National police chief Gen Sant Sarutanont said reports had emerged of
cross-fire between police and the dealers' escorts. He also said he had
donated 20,000 baht towards the boy's funeral.

Pol Lt-Col Pakorn Pawilai, the investigator, said the officers insisted one
of the dealers' escorts fired into the car. They were not sure if the
shooting was random or intended to kill Mrs Pornwipa. They had crouched on
the road and merely fired warning shots into the air.

The Honda was bullet-ridden.

Mr Sathaporn allegedly said he had been involved in drugs for a year and
bought the car recently. Police were searching his condominium in Sena
Nikom for evidence.

Pol Maj Pattana Kijkralas, of the Forensic Science Institute, said
Chakkapan was shot twice near the shoulder blades, one bullet penetrating a
lung and another his heart. Spent bullets retrieved from the car came from
a 9mm gun.

Mr Sathaporn is in police custody. Police seized 6,000 speed pills, cash
totalling 300,500 baht, a .38 pistol, two mobile phones and a bank passbook
in Mrs Pornwipa's name with one million baht in the account.

Pol Maj-Gen Prachuab Pao-in, head of city police division 4, said if the
police men killed Chakkapan they would face severe disciplinary action and
could be suspended. But if they shot in self-defence, they would be spared
criminal action.

Surasee Kosolnavin, a human rights commissioner, said the killing was a
violent outcome of the government's tough war on drugs. A mistake could be
made at any time and the government must be held responsible.