Police shoot to overpower charging samurai sword wielding drug pusher in Tawau

Policemen had to open fire thrice to overpower a man suspected to be a drug pusher who charged at them with a Samurai sword in Brumas near here last Thursday, Tawau Police chief ACP Fadil Marsus said today.

He said the 34-year-old man, a foreign national, continued to rush towards the policemen even after having been shot twice, on the right side of the body and left knee, in the incident in Hulu Tingkayu at about 10am.

The policemen fired the third shot at his right arm and the man dropped the sword and was caught, he said in a statement.

Fadil said a team of policemen confronted the man and a 14-year-old boy who were riding a motorcycle but they refused to stop and tried to speed off.

However, they found that their path was blocked and quickly drew Samurai swords, he added.

"The policemen warned the two suspects to surrender but they ignored the warning and the man rushed towards the policemen," he said, adding that the boy ran away towards some undergrowth, carrying a black bag.

He said the suspects were believed to drug pushers in the district.

"The injured man was admitted to the Tawau Hospital intensive care unit and is being remanded from yesterday to June 1 to assist in the investigation," he said.

He also said that the police recovered two Samurai swords and five small tubes containing what was suspected to be Syabu.

-- BERNAMA