Bangkok Police clarify shootings at Thai-Japanese stadium

[Thait Spot]

If you pay much heed to the police reports, he was shot at from multiple directions at the same time through the same entry and exit wound.

[Netizen]

The police have no credibility they have been inventing new stories on a daily basis. They have never caught any shooters since 2010.

They are evidently paid stooges of Thaksin and await instructions from their master before every press conference.

[TomTao]

Ok, so far we ahve the Police Chief admitting that the men in black who were shooting from a rooftop were police, then the Police Minister comes up with a different theory, now the forensics police have provided a different version of what happened, who's next?

[Soi Dog]

I am shocked by all this slander of our fine upstanding boys in brown. Thailand has the finest policemen money can buy.

[tingtongteesood]

Prove it ! I won't believe till they show real proof...

[BuddyPinkham]

WAIT!?!?!? Wasn;t it just last week that the police chief stated that it was policemen that did the shooting from the rooftop(s)?!?~?~?~?~? Backtracking? Did Dubai talk to him and have him change his story? This place never ceases to amaze me!

[rametindallas]

Over the years, I have found that the word 'clarify' actually means 'obfuscate' when uset by governmental representatives here in Thailand.

[newcomer71]

I feel many people here should have more respect, some insults that are written daily toward anyone (not just police like in this thread, but anyone - anyside) are completely out of the line, inappropriate, and coward.

I would like all of you go to insult police officers, Suthep, Thaksin or the fellows TV posters they enjoy to insult daily in front of their face and try to get away with it.

Edited January 7, 2014 by newcomer71

[Halion]

i much prefer the story about Humpty Dumpty. The RTP and all of it's agencies has zero capability and even less credibility. Morons who think that they are smarter than the public.

[spirit47]

What about this headline:"Murder arrest himself" I would believe directly....

[Ulic]

Well thats it then, everything solved, CSI Bangkok report is in. I look forward to the TV show

to be aired imminently.

[The Deerhunter]

A single 9mm pistol cartridge could fit over 100 different brands and models of 9mm semi automatic pistols.a handful of police type carbins and even the odd revolver. A single 223 Remington cartridge,( called 5.56NATO in military parlance) will fit & fire throught hundreds of brands of sporting, target, hunting, and of course military type rifles such as the M16 rifle in service with the Thai armed forces, A 38 cartridge, (which 38 exactly, please) is a generic revolver calibre expressed in a number of .38 calibre usually revolver cartridges, covering hundreds of makes & models of .38 revolvers made over the last 120 years. These are not the weapon or cartridge of choice of the long range sniper.

Congratulations to the Thai Police to pinning the 31 cartridges down to 16 weapons. IThey all must be very unusual cartridges to fit only different 16 weapons between the 31 of them. Should make the job much easier to track down such rare & almost unique firearms.

[diceq]

Does anyone remember the forensics report initially that talked about shots from a high vantage point ? If so good, your memory extends back two weeks. Does anyone remember the men in black photo widely distributed from the rooftop of the Labour building ? If so good, your memory extends back one week. Does anyone remember the chief of police admitting that the men on the rooftop were policemen ? If so good, your memory extends a few days. Do you remember reading this article where none of these things are adequately addressed ? If so good, your memory is just the right length for the administration.

Do you remember the post that clearly pointed out that "the men in black" could not possibly have shot the policeman? No, you probably don't.

[MikeOboe57]

Does anyone remember the forensics report initially that talked about shots from a high vantage point ? If so good, your memory extends back two weeks. Does anyone remember the men in black photo widely distributed from the rooftop of the Labour building ? If so good, your memory extends back one week. Does anyone remember the chief of police admitting that the men on the rooftop were policemen ? If so good, your memory extends a few days. Do you remember reading this article where none of these things are adequately addressed ? If so good, your memory is just the right length for the administration.

Do you remember the post that clearly pointed out that "the men in black" could not possibly have shot the policeman? No, you probably don't.

Of course we do. That was the reason they had to change the story to "being shot from ground level while crouching behind cover". And now we have half a rifle platoon behind the protesters spraying lead down from another rooftop. What will be next?

Let´s be fair. All would be a lot more believable if CAPO and the BiB would not try to outpace each other with half baked press statements before completing a thorough investigation. Making pompous statements only being forced to retract them soon afterwards and presenting a totally different albeit equally short lived story does not add to their already tarnished credibility.

[Emptyset]

Funny how the only real story TV sofa general council accepts is the PDCR statement released minutes after shots where fired....

Well, so far the police have told us three different stories.

1. The policeman was shot by a handgun bullet from an elevated position. Then pictures emerged with MiB on the roof of a building under control of the police. When the fairy tale fizzled that they were actually protestors dressed in looted police uniforms...

2. He was shot from a level position from the outside gate (location of the protestors) while crouching behind a tree - to explain the path of the bullet. They even presented a "matching" .38 casing conveniently found at the alleged shooter´s position. When doubts arouse they pulled out of their hat...

3. He was shot from an elevated position (again) this time by one of 16 riflemen from the rooftop of a building behind the protestors. And they produce the "matching" bullets and spent casings. No more "handgun".

Of course no autopsy was carried out and the poor bloke`s body has quickly been released for cremation. And the location has not been sealed off to conduct the investigation, so any evidence could have easily been either removed, relocated or placed as seen appropriate to support any story.

It doesn't say here - that I can see - that Narong was shot from an elevated position, it discusses Wasu and other cop. The idea that Narong was shot from an elevated position came from Akanat I think, not police. Police only said they believed that protesters were shooting from a high building, not that they killed Narong from a high building. Also, where did you read no autopsy was carried out?

It's not really inconsistent. According to this, someone was firing from a high building at Gate 1, but not necessarily at Gate 3 where Narong was shot. I just doubt that Wasu was shot by his own side from a building, I think he was shot by one of the cops during the counter-attack in the afternoon. But I think Narong was shot by protesters earlier on. Doesn't rule out someone (from either side) shooting from a building, at some point, of course. Worth bearing in mind the clash went on from 7am or so until early evening, and the first cop was shot at just after 9am with live bullets also being reported during the late afternoon.

Dear Emptyset, I stand corrected on the autopsy. It referred to Wasu (not sent to the Police Hospital). My mistake and should not have happened, thanks for not coming down on me like a load of bricks.

Rummaged throughout the forum to find the reference of Narong being shot from top down. Akanat´s claim (allegedly based on autopsy report) is published 29 dec, forum members make the same claim already 28 dec. Unable to find the original source. But it coincides with the later claim shat he was shot from a same level position while "crouching"to explain the bullet path. And it was a .32 casing not .38 (my mistake again).

I still wonder why with all this allegedly amassed firepower of "unknown" assailants now "popping up" - 16 riflemen unmolested and undetected - the actual number of casualties is so surprisingly low. Bad shots the lot of them?

Haha. We all get it wrong at times. Respect for recognizing it, most don't. I've just been back through on google the all the reports in English about Narong. The BKK Post quotes two police officers - including the director of the police hospital, as saying that Narong was shot in the right side of the chest. But still the first I can find about him being shot from above is still the claim by Akanat, dated 27th Dec: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chalerm-told-clarify-men-black-labour-ministry/ - would the autopsy really have been performed so soon and the details passed on to Akanat but not reported by anyone else independently?

I agree with you about some of the police's other claims about how many guns used etc. They did themselves no favours by lying about who the men on the roof were initially. If they'd come out immediately and said they were just riot policeman, people would take their explanations much more seriously. But now the idea is still there that they were a secret force from Cambodia or the like. That narrative will be set in stone now, for some.

[rubl]

The police seems to have interesting chaps assigned to watch these protests. The BP just had a 'breaking news' item about a police officer caught with a loaded pistol and ya ice at the Ratchadamnoen rally site. When detained by guards and brought to the police station he seem to have told investigators to be overseeing the Police Museum there.

Of course he's probably just an exception just like a few violent anti-government protesters are.