Policeman Shoots Dead Superior in Mandalay Police Office

[News_Editor]

Relatives and friends attend the funeral of Lieutenant Maung Tint in Mandalay on Tuesday. (Photo: Man Tha Lay/ the Irrawaddy)

MANDALAY — An argument between two policemen on duty in Mandalay Region Police Office turned violent on Monday, leading one policeman to shoot dead his superior officer in the office.

Lieutenant Maung Tint was working in the office of the Assistant Police Force Against Crimes at around 11 pm on Monday, when second-Lieutenant Thein Than Soe walked in, pulled his service weapon and shot him in the head. He died instantly from his wounds.

Maung Tint has a wife and two daughters, according to local news reports. His funeral was held at Mandalay’s Kyar Ni cemetery on Tuesday afternoon.

Thein Than Soe has been detained and charged with murder. It was not immediately clear what caused the argument and police are still investigating the incident.

Second-lieutenant Thein Than Soe was recently transferred to Assistant Police Force Against Crimes section, after serving with the Traffic Police.

An officer who worked under the victim provided The Irrawaddy with a brief account of Monday’s events.

“Earlier in the day, I heard him [Maung Tint] ask [Thein Than Soe]: ‘Where have you been while you are on duty?’ But I don’t know anything about their later argument on the phone,†said the officer, who declined to be named.

“Thein Than Soe just came in later that evening and then shot his superior, who was sitting down after he did some writing, in the head. They both are calm people. I don’t know exactly how the argument started,†he said.

Describing the officer who allegedly committed the killing, he said, “Thein Than Soe is a young and handsome guy. There are many women who like him. It seemed that he might have had some disputes with his girlfriends on that day.â€

Source: Irrawaddy.org