KOTA BARU: A man was shot in the thigh when he attempted to attack police officers with a machete in front of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Machang on Wednesday (April 8) night.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said a crime prevention patrol from the Machang district police headquarters had responded to a report of a shooting at the location at about 11.17pm.
"While checks were being carried out on two men found behaving suspiciously, one of them acted aggressively by pulling out a machete and swinging it at the policemen," Mohd Yusoff said in a statement on Thursday.
He said the officers were forced to fire several shots at the suspect, who had a criminal record with multiple offences, in self-defence and to prevent serious injury.
The injured suspect managed to flee before being swiftly apprehended nearby.
"The suspect is currently receiving treatment in the hospital and reported to be in stable condition. He has been remanded for seven days," he said, adding that no injuries were reported among the police personnel involved.
However, police are still tracking down the second suspect who had fled the scene in the confrontation.
Mohd Yusoff said further checks at the scene led to the seizure of a machete believed to have been used by the injured suspect.
"The suspect's criminal record involves dangerous drugs, criminal intimidation, offences related to corrosive substances, explosives and dangerous weapons, obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties, and domestic violence," he said.
Mohd Yusoff added that the case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.
Meanwhile, a group of UiTM Machang students went through a tense moment when they scrambled to safety after hearing gunshots about 50m from where they were at an eatery during the incident.
Student Adam Haqimie Rosli, 21, said that at 11pm, he and six friends were chatting over drinks when they saw a police officer chasing a man.
"We then heard popping sounds, which we initially thought were firecrackers before realising they were gunshots.
"Once we realised the actual situation, we immediately ran into the shop to take cover," he told reporters at the scene on Thursday.
Restaurant owner Shahida Ramli, 27, said that at the time of the incident, she and about 10 workers were serving customers, most of whom were UiTM students.
She said the situation turned chaotic when customers realised that an individual was being chased by police in the area.
Shahida said she learnt that the two men had come to the area to withdraw money from an ATM near the main entrance of UiTM.
"One of the suspects, who was on a motorcycle, managed to escape, while the other was detained after being shot in the thigh," she said.
According to her, the detained suspect is believed to have fallen into a drain about two metres deep across the road while attempting to flee. - Bernama
