Johor police: Force used on suspect in viral video as he was resisting arrest
JOHOR BARU: Johor Police have defended the actions of its officers seen in a viral video, saying they had to use force on a suspect because he was resisting arrest.
"Our officers had no choice but to use force as the suspect was not cooperative and tried to retaliate," said Johor police chief Comm Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin.
In the 50-second viral video, officers were seen using force on a 32-year-old man who was lying on the side of the road in Seri Alam in Pasir Gudang here.
One of the officers, in a fluorescent yellow police vest, was seen holding the suspect while another policeman kicked him in the head.
Comm Wan Ahmad said the policemen were merely doing their duty as officers of the law as the suspect had resisted arrest and tried to escape on his motorcycle.
He explained that in the incident, two Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB) officers were patrolling along Jalan Masai-Kong Kong saw the suspect acting suspiciously and decided to stop him for a standard inspection at around 6.50pm on Friday.
"The suspect sped off when told to stop and rode recklessly, which threatened the safety of other civilians nearby, prompting the policemen to pursue him," he said in a statement here Sunday.
Comm Wan Ahmad said that the suspect lost control of his motorcycle and crashed, which led to his arrest with the help of two other URB officers from the Seri Alam district police headquarters.
"Following a body inspection, the officers found a packet containing marijuana on the suspect, who also tested positive for amphetamine," he said, adding that the suspect sustained minor injuries from the crash.
He said that his officers had no choice but to use force on the suspect as he still did not cooperate and even retaliated.
Comm Wan Ahmad added that the suspect had been remanded for further investigation under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"I urge the public to stop spreading the video clip on social media to avoid any misunderstanding," said Comm Wan Ahmad, adding that people should refrain from making unnecessary speculation without knowing the truth.
