Arrest warrant on 'Popcorn Gunman' approved

[webfact]

Arrest Warrant On 'Popcorn Gunman' Approved

BY Khaosod English

BANGKOK: -- The court has approved arrest warrant on one of armed militants allied to anti-government protesters who have engaged in pre-election gunbattle against pro-government protesters.

The militants emerged during clashes between the rival protesters on 1 February, a day before the general election on 2 February, in Laksi district of Bangkok. A pair of the gunmen were seen firing a weapon concealed in a large popcorn bag at pro-government protesters, leading to their nickname as the "Popcorn Gunmen".

The violence left a number of people injured, including one elderly man who had been paralysed by a bullet.

According to police statement, the Criminal Court has approved the arrest warrant on one of the gunmen who manned the popcorn bag firearm.

The suspect is identified as Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit. He is charged with attempted murder, unauthorised possession of firearms and ammunition, carry of firearms into residential area without due cause, and violating the emergency decree which bans carry of firearms in the public.

The identities of three other gunmen are being sought by the police, according to the statement by the Royal Thai Police.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1395126913&section=11&typecate=06

-- Khaosod English 2014-03-18

[fab4]

Good to see the courts have finally agreed enough evidence has been provided to enable an arrest warrant to be raised, over a month since the shootings. I'm sure Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit is still hanging around Lumpini blending in with the peaceful protesters and an arrest will be imminent. It's not as if he's been given a head start since he and his brothers in arms were named in social media way back then.............

The Criminal Court on Thursday declined to approve arrest warrants sought by police for three men seen carrying and firing weapons during the shooting at the Lak Si area earlier this month.

It said that pictorial evidence obtained from social media alone was not sufficient. Suspect Wiwat Yordprasit is accused of being the so-called "popcorn gunman" who fired an automatic weapon from a large plastic sack. Police said Wiwat is also wanted on a drug-related offence.

The other man whose face has been seen in images is allegedly Surachet Treenoppharat, while the third man was identified merely as Danai.

Police have identified Surachat and Danai as security guards working for the antigovernment People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Court-rejects-arrest-warrants-for-suspects-citing--30226776.html

[antimedia]

We have others but not enough evidence for warrants but what the hell we will use the opportunity to let everybody know on national media who they are anyway and by the way they just happen to be PDRC guards.

[JeremyBowskill]

I would hope they have more to go on than this photograph. This picture could be of any building site worker or bottled gas delivery boy in Thailand.

[HonestQuietBob]

Chickens coming home to roost

Chickens coming home to roost.

As soon as PTP are declared winnner of the election and get back in the drivers seat of this nation they better get their hands on some of that infrastructure money and build a new jail or two for all the street thugs that are about to pay the price for their actions over the last 4 months.

Yee-Hah

[thesetat2013]

Good to see the courts have finally agreed enough evidence has been provided to enable an arrest warrant to be raised, over a month since the shootings. I'm sure Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit is still hanging around Lumpini blending in with the peaceful protesters and an arrest will be imminent. It's not as if he's been given a head start since he and his brothers in arms were named in social media way back then.............

The Criminal Court on Thursday declined to approve arrest warrants sought by police for three men seen carrying and firing weapons during the shooting at the Lak Si area earlier this month.

It said that pictorial evidence obtained from social media alone was not sufficient. Suspect Wiwat Yordprasit is accused of being the so-called "popcorn gunman" who fired an automatic weapon from a large plastic sack. Police said Wiwat is also wanted on a drug-related offence.

The other man whose face has been seen in images is allegedly Surachet Treenoppharat, while the third man was identified merely as Danai.

Police have identified Surachat and Danai as security guards working for the antigovernment People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Court-rejects-arrest-warrants-for-suspects-citing--30226776.html

As always fab4 you are looking through red blinders. Its great if they actually have proof and can convict these men. But why aren't you screaming about the facts that they only went after the PDRC shooters? Why have they not issued warrants to arrest the shooters who fired first from the pro-gov side? Maybe those are your kind of men? The ones who shoot at the innocence and imprison their defenders.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[lemonjelly]

Chickens coming home to roost

Chickens coming home to roost.

As soon as PTP are declared winnner of the election and get back in the drivers seat of this nation they better get their hands on some of that infrastructure money and build a new jail or two for all the street thugs that are about to pay the price for their actions over the last 4 months.

Yee-Hah

<<and get back in the drivers seat of this nation >>........ so they can drive it to the brink of economic disaster....... the budget to build CERN could have been covered by the losses incurred by the rice scheme debacle.

[Loles]

Very fast, very very fast. This man can be already from Australia to Kazakhstan like the Malaysian B-777 aircraft.

[englishoak]

its pretty likely this is a Navy boy, possibly a special war soldier, I think that is a reasonable place to start looking but like no one is ever held accountable from the forces this is unlikely to be different.

Anyone want to bet popcorn man will never spend one day in jail ?

[rickirs]

I am sorry but Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit is currently involved in PDRC anti-government protests protecting the public and not available for arraignment. This message has been approved by Suthep who has experience on these matters.

[seajae]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

[HonestQuietBob]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

Did he not shoot an old man and paralyse him?

[PepperMe]

Chickens coming home to roost

Chickens coming home to roost.

As soon as PTP are declared winnner of the election and get back in the drivers seat of this nation they better get their hands on some of that infrastructure money and build a new jail or two for all the street thugs that are about to pay the price for their actions over the last 4 months.

Yee-Hah

Holy cow.

What a totally child like rant and completely retarded of any facts.

So the police say they know who popcorn man is without any real evidence and all of a sudden the PTP have won the elections?????

Hhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

We can be childish too.

[Fat Haggis]

They're also very smart, in that the bag covering the weapon is actually collecting the ejected cases, making it impossible to get prints off

[speedtripler]

They're also very smart, in that the bag covering the weapon is actually collecting the ejected cases, making it impossible to get prints off

i in case you missed it popcorn man took off his mask and posed for a facebook picture after the shootings .........i dont think theyyre going to need prints to arrest him .........just police with some balls maybe

[Arjay]

I'll wager that "pop corn" has butter and already slipped through the cracks

[diehard60]

it wont do any good. if the great and allmighty suthep does not have to answer for the accusations in court then why should anybody else have to?????

[diehard60]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

The thai military has bad teams.

[seajae]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

Did he not shoot an old man and paralyse him?

nice try, it was a red bullet that did that according to witnesses, unless you have the ballistic results to prove otherwise. Also he was shot in the back while walking towards the protesters to join them, unless bullets are now capable of doing a U turn it makes it highly unlikely the bullet came from in front of him and only reds and police were behind him.

Edited March 19, 2014 by seajae

[fab4]

Good to see the courts have finally agreed enough evidence has been provided to enable an arrest warrant to be raised, over a month since the shootings. I'm sure Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit is still hanging around Lumpini blending in with the peaceful protesters and an arrest will be imminent. It's not as if he's been given a head start since he and his brothers in arms were named in social media way back then.............

The Criminal Court on Thursday declined to approve arrest warrants sought by police for three men seen carrying and firing weapons during the shooting at the Lak Si area earlier this month.

It said that pictorial evidence obtained from social media alone was not sufficient. Suspect Wiwat Yordprasit is accused of being the so-called "popcorn gunman" who fired an automatic weapon from a large plastic sack. Police said Wiwat is also wanted on a drug-related offence.

The other man whose face has been seen in images is allegedly Surachet Treenoppharat, while the third man was identified merely as Danai.

Police have identified Surachat and Danai as security guards working for the antigovernment People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Court-rejects-arrest-warrants-for-suspects-citing--30226776.html

As always fab4 you are looking through red blinders. Its great if they actually have proof and can convict these men. But why aren't you screaming about the facts that they only went after the PDRC shooters? Why have they not issued warrants to arrest the shooters who fired first from the pro-gov side? Maybe those are your kind of men? The ones who shoot at the innocence and imprison their defenders.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you remember at the time the media were following the PDRC hence the preponderance of evidence with regard to the PDRC gunmen (google "Lak Si Thailand gunmen" images and see what you get). The first person shot was a pro-election supporter.

We had decided to go to a suburb of Bangkok, an area called Lak Si, where I had heard a group of pro-election campaigners were marching to the Lak Si administration office where voting ballots for that constituency were kept. That office had been blocked by anti-election protestors. A few hours later, the pro-election protesters arrived but kept a distance of several hundred meters from their counterparts. All of a sudden, I heard the sound of firecrackers being thrown back and forth though I couldn't work out exactly where the noise was coming from. Then -- the sound of a gunshot. I saw pro-election protesters flinch and throw themselves to the ground. Things went quiet for a bit. Then some pro-election protesters started gathering together, and I ran over to see what was going on. It was a man sitting on the floor. He was shot in the chest, but could still talk. What had been a relatively peaceful protest that day turned violent with no warning and this man the first casualty. More was to come..............

...........I crawled past six pistol-wielding gunmen who were mingling with anti-government protesters. Some gunmen wore masks, some didn't. They were firing toward the pro-election protesters the whole time. I could feel bullets zipping not far past my ears. While crawling, I also saw another two gunmen with rifles, unmasked. They, too, were shooting in the direction of the pro-election protesters.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/03/world/asia/thai-protests-gunfight-kocha/index.html

I do not recall any images of pro-government or UDD gunmen. I am not denying they were there - after all 3 rounds were fired from their positions. We do not know if these gunmen are being pursued or not, it's difficult to call for arrest warrants when you do not have any evidence apart from 3 shell cases.

When gunmen are firing Tavors and their pictures are splashed all over the social media, they are outed as PDRC guards and they seemingly have an immense taste for publicity photographs, it's even more difficult to ignore, though the courts did manage to do so for a month at least.

Maybe it's not me that has blinkers on. Come out from behind that anti Thaksin/PTP/UDD shield and take another look at the world. You may not like what you see, as it will probably not fit in with your beliefs

p.s your last line

"Maybe those are your kind of men? The ones who shoot at the innocence and imprison their defenders".

Apart from being an unwarranted personal attack, it is rather an ironic viewpoint if you actually analyse what you're saying.

Edited March 19, 2014 by fab4

[fab4]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

Did he not shoot an old man and paralyse him?

nice try, it was a red bullet that did that according to witnesses, unless you have the ballistic results to prove otherwise. Also he was shot in the back while walking towards the protesters to join them, unless bullets are now capable of doing a U turn it makes it highly unlikely the bullet came from in front of him and only reds and police were behind him.

Not even a decent try. Why do you insist on ballistic evidence and then peddle your story about eyewitnesses saying that the UDD was responsible for shooting him without any link to where those eyewitness's stated that?

Was it from the same PDRC social media pages that claimed that the 71 year old man was a cambodian gunman? (the daughter has filed a defamation case for that ridiculous comment)?

[In Town]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

Perhaps its easier to miss, even if you are a pro, when you have a bag covering your gunsight?

I wonder if this spotter and shooter were the same ones hi-fiving their kills in 2010?

Edited March 19, 2014 by In Town

[Baerboxer]

They're also very smart, in that the bag covering the weapon is actually collecting the ejected cases, making it impossible to get prints off

i in case you missed it popcorn man took off his mask and posed for a facebook picture after the shootings .........i dont think theyyre going to need prints to arrest him .........just police with some balls maybe

They didn't catch the grenade lobber from Victory Monument and his photo was plastered all over social media.

Oh I forgot, he was attacking the anti-corruption protesters. An inactive case now with plenty of inactive policemen to ignore it,

[Fat Haggis]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the grenade launchers caught and face the full force of the Law, but don't you also think it's strange that not one single person from Joe Public has come forwards and say " I know that face, his name is, and he lives at" ?? A great deal of crimes are solved and breakthroughs come from public information, this seems to be lacking ..considerably in the current situation.

These Guards that are being caught, many are caught in routine checkpoints, it's not as if they've had SWAT teams bust their doors down at 0500 in the morning is it? It really seems to be more down to luck, than any concerted effort to arrest and detain them..

Same with the members of the Navy SEAL's they were nabbed at checkpoints, not through any other interdiction type raids.

[speedtripler]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

Did he not shoot an old man and paralyse him?

nice try, it was a red bullet that did that according to witnesses, unless you have the ballistic results to prove otherwise. Also he was shot in the back while walking towards the protesters to join them, unless bullets are now capable of doing a U turn it makes it highly unlikely the bullet came from in front of him and only reds and police were behind him.

i think this is more likely to be correct

if a round from a weapon like an m-16 hit him in the spine it would have ripped right through him and he woud be dead in seconds

from blood loss and organ failure

also people say the guy cant miss ,of course he can miss

he didnt even use the scope if he was still shooting with just the gun comlpletely covered in a popcorn bag with a hole in the end

if he was trained to use it he would have been able to stay further away and pick them with the telescopic sight from a safe distance away

with no risk of return fire

[webfact]

Alleged 'popcorn' gunman arrested
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested an alleged "popcorn" gunman in Surat Thani, a day after police obtained an arrest warrant against him.

Assistant Police Commissioner General Winai Thongsong said Wiwat Yodprasit was arrested in Khiriratnikom district in Surat Thani.

Winai said Wiwat did not try to resist the arrest. He will be brought to Bangkok for questioning.

Police alleged that Wiwat used a popcorn bag to partially conceal his rifle when he fired at red-shirt people during a clash in Lak Si on February 1.

On that day, anti-government protesters tried to block the distribution of ballots and ballot boxes at the Lak Si district office.

A clash ensued after a group of red shirts moved in to confront the protesters.

Winai said Wiwat would be charged with collaborating to kill orders and carrying firearms without license as well as carrying firearms in public place and violating the state of emergency.

Critics said police were always fast in arreting alleged laws violators on the opposite side from the government.


-- The Nation 2014-03-19

[fab4]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

The biggest pile of pap I've had the misfortune to read for a long time. Are you his lawyer?!

[Fat Haggis]

death doesn't always occur with gut shots and high velocity rounds either, many soldiers in conflicts have survived as have some mates of mine after being shot by an AK, he no longer has a spleen, but he's still alive, and still is as fit as a butchers dog too, it took him 2 years to fully recover, but he has.

IF these are as suspected Thai Navy SEAL's then they can still shoot very well without using optics, you just change the method you use, shotgun, or over the bore method, some sights today you don't even close your non dominant eye, both eyes open, and you can still hit your targets, quite easily, especially if you're in a CQB type situation.

[PepperMe]

what people seem to not realize is that this was a pro team, one spotting and one shooting. Pros dont miss so where were all the dead people supposedly shot by these two. If the red supporters had half a brain they would realize that these two were simply returning fire at the red shooters to stop them killing the protesters and not shooting discriminantly like the reds were, if they were there to kill they would have done so but they didnt. What is amazing is that the police can chase this shooter up but not get any of the reds that were right next to them shooting at the protesters and with pics of them as well, does seem to be very one sided of the rtp but then what else can we expect. They know the calibre of his rifle so they should be able to match up victims but where are they, they simply dont exist hence the attempted murder as they did not kill anyone, pretty p*ss poor for a pro shooter and the ones they possibly shot would have been red shooters and the police simply will not approach them in case they have to arrest them as well.

The biggest pile of pap I've had the misfortune to read for a long time. Are you his lawyer?!

Huh.... You can talk hypocrite.

[PepperMe]

In my opinion, the guy is a hero.

Ko Tee marched his terrorists to the location armed and ready to murder and these heroes saved probably many lives.

Give him a medal.