Video: Policeman charged with murder after torture/extortion of drug suspect shocks Thailand

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

The station chief of Muang Nakhon Sawan police in northern Thailand faces a charge of murder after a video posted by a lawyer shocked the nation.

 

The video featured a drug suspect called Jirapong Thanaphat being suffocated to death by several layers of plastic bags being secured over his head in an office area.

 

The suspect slumps to the ground as a group of five men led by a senior officer make a botched attempt to extort two million baht from him.

 

He later died.

 

The clip was shared on Facebook and went viral confirming for many what they believe about the Thai police. 

 

Chief of the Royal Thai police Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk has accepted that the clip is real and wants all concerned dismissed from the force.

 

He has apologized to the victim and his family.

 

He has instigated charges of murder against Pol Col Thitisan Uthanaphol, chief of the Muang Nakhon Sawan police who is on the run. 

 

Borders are being watched amid fears that he will try to get out of Thailand. 

 

He has been stripped of his position and transferred to region 6 headquarters as an initial response. He can appeal this.

 

Meanwhile Thai media Daily News was speculating how the clip emerged from police officers suggesting that it involved disagreements over the sharing of extorted cash and tea money at the station.

 

They suggested this looked like it might have happened before and that a wider investigation was needed into the police in Nakhon Sawan. 

 

Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocah is furious about the case and had ordered immediate action to protect the image of the police. 

 

Suwat tried to limit the damage apologizing for the incident - one that he simply couldn't hide or deny due to the graphic nature of the video - saying that there were plenty of good cops as well as some bad apples. 

 

The suspect was in custody following a sting for "ice" or crystal meth and the officers were trying to extort two million baht from him by the use of torture.

 

Yet Daily News uncovered a death certificate from Sawan Pracharak Hospital that listed the cause of death as "probably from methamphetamines". 

 

The lawyer who posted the clip said it had come from subordinates who feared for their own lives in the case. 

 

Additional sources: Daily News | Daily News

 

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[Thaiwrath]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocah is furious about the case and had ordered immediate action to protect the image of the police. 

What image ?

I was advised on my first trip here in 1991 that they were corrupt as <deleted>, and never to trust them, and things have never improved !

[thonglorjimmy]

Another headline grabbing story for our friends at the TAT.

[robblok]

Bit strange that his transferred and not put in jail directly while the investigation is ongoing. The fact that he is on the run will probably mean he will never be found. The police does not like their dirty laundry out.

 

The police needs reforming and officers should be punished much harsher for corruption and stuff like this. As long as they can operate like this nobody will trust the police.

[Dmaxdan]

Being a ex-copper, he is going to have to watch his back with the other inmates once his lengthy prison sentence starts.

 

[ikke1959]

I am wondering how they will treat the anti Government protestors if you see this. I knew already that they use there fists to investigate people, but this is a bit over the top. To clean the RTP there should be some policemen from abroad have to come to Thailand to educate them, as they did in Iraq after Saddam Hussein... 

[ChipButty]

These police dont seem very bright to me they must have known there was video cam's in the room didnt they have any safe houses to take them too?

[anchadian]

Video on the capture of several of the police officers:

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1430368972986195969

 

Don't forget the doctor who forged the cause of death.

 

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Video on the capture of several of the police officers:

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiNewsReports/status/1430368972986195969

 

Don't forget the doctor who forged the cause of death.

 

Maybe he was told to write that, you know how it works here

[Mac Mickmanus]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

These police dont seem very bright to me they must have known there was video cam's in the room didnt they have any safe houses to take them too?

Maybe they didn't expect the videos to be released to the public ?

  *What happened in the Police station, stays in the Police station *, kind of thing 

[Denim]

This must be the Unseen Thailand we hear so much about.

 

Not so much Amazing as sickening but sadly nothing new. 

[chuang]

Cop owning supercar....how many transactions had they already made...

[worgeordie]

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

The suspect slumps to the ground as a group of five men led by a senior officer make a botched attempt to extort two million baht from him.

So one of the police is on the run,no mention of the other

4 facing charges ? , 

regards Woreordie

[ThailandRyan]

And here I was watching the news this morning as it was a major story and I thought to myself why not just say he died from Covid.  Why not say he was spitting so you threw the bag on his head, and then the news shows the forensic team all dressed in full PPE's and a covid response vehicle at the station, and I thought what are the odds that the police will be quarantined, the suspect found to have had Covid, and the case swept away.  Of course that's just my view, and would seem to align with all of the past practices by this country.....just saying.

[Rookiescot]

Thats a hard watch.

[jvs]

15 minutes ago, Denim said:

This must be the Unseen Thailand we hear so much about.

 

Not so much Amazing as sickening but sadly nothing new. 

Yes this makes one wonder how much more of this is going on in Thailand.

[ThailandRyan]

39 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

What image ?

I was advised on my first trip here in 1991 that they were corrupt as <deleted>, and never to trust them, and things have never improved !

Explained the same to me and told it was worse then going to Mexico.

[jvs]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

And here I was watching the news this morning as it was a major story and I thought to myself why not just say he died from Covid.  Why not say he was spitting so you threw the bag on his head, and then the news shows the forensic team all dressed in full PPE's and a covid response vehicle at the station, and I thought what are the odds that the police will be quarantined, the suspect found to have had Covid, and the case swept away.  Of course that's just my view, and would seem to align with all of the past practices by this country.....just saying.

Well you know there is a video,hard to deny what is going on there!

[Hayduke]

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

hai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocah is furious about the case and had ordered immediate action to protect the image of the police. 

 

Protect the image? This.....Mister PM......is both the image and the reality of the police. You're only furious the because truth has been exposed....again.

 

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, jvs said:

Well you know there is a video,hard to deny what is going on there!

I know, and I have seen it.  "Your honor, the suspect had Covid and was spitting on the officers" "He became combative and a bag was placed over his head" "He then had a seizure from the Covid and died".  Defense rests.

[Cake Monster]

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocah is furious about the case and had ordered immediate action to protect the image of the police. 

Prayut may be furious, but the damage has already been done. " Protection "cannot possibly be offered to these low life. 

They have committed a Murder which is caught on film.

The Image of the Thai Police Force has been tarnished Internationally now for many, many years, and this extremely upsetting, and tragic death in Police custody of a young man who whether innocent, or guilty of a crime, did not deserve to be tortured to death by these animals.

This is just the latest in a long line of terrible crimes committed by the RTP over many years. And there will be many crimes they have committed that have gone unreported, or have been brushed over.

" To protect and Serve " is the RTP motto

Should be " We  Torture, Maim and extort at our leisure "

 

 

[chaila]

Why does this remind me of Koh Tao ??

[bbko]

That horrific video is straight up murder.

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, chaila said:

Why does this remind me of Koh Tao ??

Please tell us

[thaitom]

How does one apologize to a victim that is dead ?

[jvs]

5 minutes ago, thaitom said:

How does one apologize to a victim that is dead ?

In Thailand you can go to the temple and ask for forgiveness but i know this is not what you mean.

They should apologize to the world..

[BobinBKK]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocah is furious about the case and had ordered immediate action to protect the image of the police. 

He's worried about the image of the police? wow... I'm at a loss for words, and for me, that's highly unusual...

[wprime]

It's disgusting how these people abuse their power, but I have my full confidence that the Thai government will bring all those involved to justice by transferring them to inactive posts.

[fangless]

35 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Because the brown very full envelopes kept going up the chain one could guess as why his bosses didn't guess.....just another twisted view I have.  But then your question was rhetorical right?

Correct!

[ChipButty]

1 minute ago, wprime said:

It's disgusting how these people abuse their power, but I have my full confidence that the Thai government will bring all those involved to justice by transferring them to inactive posts.

That place must be full