Cops to probe death of youth who hijacked patrol car

The police will investigate the death of a man who had hijacked an East Coast Highway patrol car last Thursday, before it crashed into a bus stop at Simpang Kampung Bukit Lada in Maran, Pahang.

They will also probe into an allegation by the deceased's family that the man died from a gunshot wound after he was shot in the head.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said, the police would investigate all angles, including recording statements from policemen who were at the scene of the incident, and witnesses.

"Our initial investigations revealed that the man had shot himself in the head. However, we will conduct a detailed investigation into the matter," he said, adding that he would go to Kuantan (Pahang) to get to the bottom of the matter.

He was speaking to reporters here yesterday after launching a crime prevention programme of the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (Penang), in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Police in Penang.

Khalid was responding to an allegation by the father of the dead man that an autopsy report from Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah stated the 22-year-old victim died of head injuries after being shot.

Abdul Nasir Abdullah, 50, is reported to have said the autopsy report had contradicted with a police statement that his son died due to hitting his head on the steering of the vehicle.

He said he would not rule out the possibility of taking legal action against the police over the incident.

In the incident, a man believed to have been mentally unsound, was reported to have attacked the police before grabbing a gun and escaping in a vehicle at the Chenor toll exit after firing four shots at random.