MACHANG, Sept 25 — A suspected rustler was shot dead after a 33-year-old man attacked a police patrol with a sharp weapon in Kampung Joh, Labok here early this morning.

Kelantan deputy police chief DCP Mohd Ali Tamby said in the 4.30am incident, a patrol car on duty from the Machang district police headquarters (IPD) received a public complaint that there was a suspicious white Toyota Vios at Kampung Joh in Labok, Machang.

"The police patrol which rushed to the location came across a car driven by two men.

"Aware of the police presence, the car sped away and was chased along Machang road towards Kota Baru while the police patrol used a loudhailer calling for the suspects to stop,” he said today.

Mohd Ali said that during the hot pursuit, there were several collisions between the suspect’s car and the police patrol vehicle, before the runaway car skidded to a halt on road shoulder in Kampung Labok.

"When the officers of the patrol car alighted to apprehend the suspects, the driver of the car emerged to attack one of the policeman with a knife, prompting police to holler a warning before firing several shots at the suspect’s legs in self-defence. The man jumped into the patrol car and fled towards Kota Baru.

"However, some four kilometres from the incident site in the Pulai Chondong area, the suspect was found slumped dead in the driver’s seat and his body was subsequently sent to Machang Hospital for an autopsy,” he said.

He said the accomplice, a 43-year old man was arrested at the scene while the dead suspect was from Pengkalan Chepa and had several criminal records.

He said before the incident, the suspects were involved in cattle theft at Kampung Joh in Labok here, where a cow was slaughtered at that location.

"An inspection of the suspect’s vehicle found equipment for stealing cattle such as ropes, a syringe apparently containing an anaesthetic, a machete, a knife, a sharpener and identification documents belonging to a man with an address in Sungai Besar, Selangor, were also seized.

"The case is being investigated under sections 307, 379, 379A, 186 of the Penal Code and 42(1) APJ,” he said. — Bernama