Jakarta Police Promise New Car to Man With 20 Stitches in His Head

The Jakarta Globe, October 17, 2013.


A man wrongly suspected of being a car thief will be given a replacement car and free hospital care after Jakarta Police shot at his vehicle and put 20 stitches in his head, a spokesman said.

“Robin [Napitupulu] and West Jakarta Police have agreed that his hospital treatment will be paid for and his car will be replaced with a new one,” Sr. Comr. Rikwanto, spokesman of the Jakarta Police, said on Thursday as quoted by Detik.com.

Rikwanto told the Jakarta Globe earlier that the incident happened on Saturday in Koja, North Jakarta after a person identified as Krisdianta reported their Daihatsu Grand Max car to be missing.

Police detectives found the car in short order and arrested one thief identified as Z.A.

“Z.A. admitted to stealing it,” Rikwanto said. “He said he was helped by his friend who drove a black Daihatsu Terios.”

While searching for the second suspect, police stopped Robin and asked him to step out of his car, Rikwanto said. Robin, however, elected to try and flee the scene — a response that has historically not been well received by members of the police force in Jakarta — and police responded by shooting at the car.

Rikwanto said police fired a warning shot. Robin said police shot at his car.

“There was no warning shot, let alone them showing any identity,” Robin told Indonesian newspaper Kompas. “They did not knock at the car — instead they shot directly at my car.”

Robin said that he was afraid he would be robbed, which was why he had attempted to escape to the office of a neighborhood patrol unit. Police arrived shortly after, producing identification this time, before beating Robin with their pistols.

After questioning him for an hour, after which it became clear that he was not a suspect, Robin was taken to Pelabuhan hospital to receive 20 stitches in his head and treatment for a fractured finger and bruises to his waist and hands.

An officer of Tanjung Duren Police identified as E.M has been disciplined over the case, Rikwanto said, though it was not clear at the time of writing what sanction might be handed to the man.



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