KUCHING: Parti Bumi Kenyalang President Voon Lee Shan has questioned if the police fired warning shots into the air before shooting dead a man who allegedly tried to evade them and ram them along Jalan Simpang Tiga on Wednesday night.
He said police vehicles, especially those used by traffic police, were usually equipped with a warning system and microphone to allow them to give a warning before they open fire against any suspect.
"If they have to open fire, there must be warning shots fired into the air first," he said.
Voon, who is contesting in Batu Lintang for the 12th Sarawak election, is a lawyer and also a former police officer.
"It (shooting) should be aimed at the tires of the vehicle, not at the suspect. I was a police officer, so I know the procedures."
"Police can only fire if their lives are in danger. Even if the suspect was armed, police should try their best not to shoot the suspect but to corner him to surrender," he said in a statement today.
He was commenting on the incident where a 24-year-old man was shot dead after trying to ram into the police when they attempted to approach the vehicle to apprehend him. This forced the police to open fire.
According to the police, the man, who was driving a Proton Saga, had been instructed to stop for checks by the police for driving recklessly. However, the man ignored the order and sped off, hitting several cars along the way before arriving at a traffic light junction in Jalan Simpang Tiga.
Voon, however, said that although the deceased could be a criminal, public safety should be taken into consideration when opening fire in a public place or on the road with heavy traffic.
"Besides, with heavy traffic, it was foreseeable the suspect would not be able to drive fast or run away if police gave chase," he said.
Voon said the public has raised the issue and asked him to respond about the incident.
"Many have come to me and ask me about the incident and whether it is necessary to open fire and shoot the suspect," he added.