Police investigators are looking into a complaint against Sutthisan police who have been accused of assaulting a gambler to death during a raid on an illegal high-low dice game in Huai Khwang district.
Don Daengchantip was found dead early yesterday in front of a grocery market in Rungrueang Tonplai community where the raid had taken place.
The operation was said to have been carried out by six officers attached to Sutthisan police station.
A probe team has been set up to look into the claim, Sutthisan police chief Pol Col Toemphao Siriphuban said yesterday.
Police investigators will inspect security camera footage that caught moments from the raid.
They will study it to find out whether police had indeed assaulted the suspect to death, and if so, why.
The 34-year-old suspect and his friends were playing a high-low dice game when the officers conducted the raid. All were detained except Don, who managed to run away.
Don's attempt to flee is believed to have led to the physical assault, according to an initial investigation.
One witness told police Don first ran into the grocery market but was hit and nabbed by police.
He tried to escape again and was seen punching an officer's face.
This triggered an angry response from the officers, the witness claimed, adding he tried to tell the police to stop to no avail.
Don was shoved, which caused his head to hit a parked motorcycle, according to the account.
The officers allegedly continued to assault him, threw him violently against a galvanised iron fence and stomped on his body to prevent him from fleeing, according to the witness account.
Rescuers were later called in after Don became unconscious but they failed to save his life.
An initial inspection found wounds and scratches on his face and also traces of bruising along his body.