SIBU: Kanowit police opened fire on an aggressive wanted man, hitting him in the thigh, after he injured a policeman with a karambit (curved knife) earlier.
Kanowit OCPD Deputy Supt Dennis Bunyam said that in the 3.20pm incident on Monday (Sept 16), a police team spotted the 35-year-old suspect at a jetty along Sungai Kanowit.
The suspect was on the wanted list for a drug-related investigation.
"When the team tried to arrest him, the suspect reacted aggressively by attacking a policeman with a sharp weapon suspected to be a karambit.
"As a result of the attack, the policeman suffered serious injuries to his left arm and abdomen," he said here on Tuesday (Sept 17).
The suspect then fled the scene, he added.
At around 5pm on Monday, DSP Dennis said he led a police team and tracked the suspect to a passenger boat.
They spotted the suspect on the roof of the boat brandishing a machete in his right hand and a karambit in his left.
"We warned him to lay down his weapons and surrender.
"However, he became aggressive again and tried to attack us.
"For security reasons and in self-defence, we fired at the suspect, hitting him in the right thigh," he said.
DSP Dennis said the team then moved in, arrested the suspect and confiscated his weapons.
Both the suspect and injured policeman were sent to Hospital Kanowit and later referred to Hospital Sibu for further treatment, he added.
"A urine test on the suspect came back positive for drugs. The suspect also has drug-related offences on his criminal record," he said.
According to DSP Dennis, the case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, and the suspect has been remanded until Sept 23.
