Police Officer Found Dead After Tense Village Confrontation in Papua

The Jakarta Globe, December 14, 2013.


A police officer was found laying in a pool of blood in Keerom, Papua, after the man’s fellow officers accidentally left the officer behind when pulling out of a restive village on Friday.

Local police were called to Arso Kota village on Friday to investigate reports that an armed group was looting buildings and robbing residents in the streets. When the officers arrived on the scene, a mob of reportedly intoxicated men began to hurl stones at the police.

“When the officers arrived to reprimand [the gang] a group of people resisted and began to hurl stones at them,” Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Pujo said.

The officers pulled back, with the plan of returning to their post and calling for backup, Sulistyo said. But when the officers fled the scene, they allegedly left one of their own behind.

When they returned, First. Brig. Sudaryo was found bleeding heavily from unspecified wounds. The officers rushed their coworker to a nearby hospital.

He did not live through the night.

“When taken to the hospital, the victim passed away,” Sulistyo said.

An investigation is ongoing by the Papua Police.



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