Plainclothes police officers fired several shots at a car being driven by a suspected drug dealer who was attempting to flee on Phetkasem Road on Friday evening, causing people in the area to panic and run for safety. The suspect remained at large.
The shooting took place near The Mall Bangkae in Bang Kae district around 5.15pm. The incident did not lead to casualties but caused damage to five vehicles, all of which were struck by the suspect’s vehicle.
The incident began after police raided a house following an investigation into a drug network, said Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, the Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner. They were able to arrest two suspects but the third, identified later as Chonthat Natheemas, 29, managed to get to a car and escape.
During the pursuit, police fired shots at the vehicle’s tyres to prevent the suspect from causing injury to himself or others or damage to property, Pol Maj Gen Jirasan said.
The officers were following police protocol related to vehicle chases, he added.
However, the suspect was able to abandon the car, a white Honda HR-V with Bangkok licence plates, at a parking lot in Phasi Charoen district, and was still at large on Saturday.