Video: Three hour hostage drama ends after "homeless man" with grenade is shot by S.W.A.T. forces in Khon Kaen

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported with dramatic video footage as events unfolded at a hostage drama in downtown Khon Kaen, north eastern Thailand yesterday morning. 

 

The three minute Thai Rath video can be viewed by following the link here.

 

It began at 9am when a police patrol investigated a report of theft by a man described as homeless who was touring around with a barrow collecting second hand items. 

 

It happed at the Tepparak community in the tessaban area of Khon Kaen. 

 

The man was found to be in possession of a Thai made gun that was taken from him.

 

He then produced an M61 grenade in his hand and managed to run off.

 

Backup was called as the man went into the home of a motorcycle repair mechanic and took the man's wife hostage.

 

Police in the early stages of the drama were told by the man that he wanted to see his own wife. It soon emerged that he didn't actually have one.

 

A robot device was sent in with a cool drink. The hostage taker took the drink and the four wheeled robot as the standoff continued.

 

Prasop,54, the husband of the hostage told Thai Rath reporters present that the man had tried to get in several houses before choosing his.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Initially he took two younger relatives hostage as well as his wife but they managed to get away.

 

The drama came to an end around 12 noon when, with SWAT team operatives in position the hostage was given a signal to run when the hostage taker was distracted. 

 

He was shot in the left shoulder and the hostage managed to run away unhurt.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Screams could be heard on the video as this played out.

 

After the grenade was removed from the hostage taker's hand - he was now slumped in the road with just an arm moving - a team moved in to take him away to hospital by ambulance.

 

Regional police chief Pol Maj-gen Noppakao Somnat said that there was no name or address of the hostage taker as yet. 

 

Questioned as to whether the man was in fact an army ranger the chief was non-committal.

 

He confirmed that an 11 mm gun had initally been retrieved from him before he produced the grenade and took the hostage. 

 

More on the aftermath of this incident as we hear of it today. 

 

A video can also be viewed here but may need to perform a YouTube sign in. 

 

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[Burma Bill]

Safe and trusted Thailand!!!!!

[ThaSalaPaul]

So... it was deemed to be a good idea to shoot a man holding a grenade...

[chickenslegs]

41 minutes ago, ThaSalaPaul said:

So... it was deemed to be a good idea to shoot a man holding a grenade...

I thought the police did a good job. The hostage escaped and the man chased after her, still holding the grenade. He ran into an open space where there was minimum danger to anyone else. He was then brought down by a marksman.

 

If he had caught up with his hostage, or entered a populated area, there could have been fatalities.

 

Police then exercised patience before removing the grenade from the disabled man.

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Land of Boom Boom - literally !

[Myran]

Very well handled by the police, it seems. Not much of a choice but to shoot him when he ran after her.

[The Old Bull]

Good job the Yanks would have shot the hostage too.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Safe and trusted Thailand!!!!!

Guns and nutters everywhere.

[ThaSalaPaul]

14 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

I thought the police did a good job. The hostage escaped and the man chased after her, still holding the grenade. He ran into an open space where there was minimum danger to anyone else. He was then brought down by a marksman.

 

If he had caught up with his hostage, or entered a populated area, there could have been fatalities.

 

Police then exercised patience before removing the grenade from the disabled man.

 

 

But the obvious concern is how would they have known what would happen. The man with the grenade was only a few metres from the hostage. Shooting the man may have caused him to relax his grip on the grenade and drop it or worse still release the grenade forward (since he was running...ish) towards the hostage. Too many unknown variables. I'd like to think that the marksman knew something we don't. But then you have to think if they knew the  grenade was not "live" or dangerous, then why shoot him? It looks to me like they took a gamble with the hostage's life and got away with it