Lock-up deaths: Some criminals provoke cops into violence, says police officer

PETALING JAYA: A junior police officer maintains that the lock-up death issue is being blown out of proportion, and many criminals tend to provoke the police into violence.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officer said, "It is very easy for the public to make police seem like we are trigger-happy".

"They think we are bad guys who beat up innocent people, but they don't know what we deal with.

"Most police officers put their lives on the line for very little pay and we encounter dangerous criminals on a daily basis," he said.

"Many criminals are arrogant and provocative. Sometimes the criminal is withholding crucial information which could help save the live of an innocent person, even a small child," he said, adding that public pressure for police to solve crimes added to the intensity of the situation.

"At times like that, the interrogation can get out of hand. There are a few bad hats in the police force, but they are a small minority.

"As far as I know, I have never seen a police officer beat someone who was innocent", he said.