PETALING JAYA, April 4 — Three police officers assaulted on Saturday morning in Bangsar were special tactical operatives who had just finished gathering evidence on secret society activities in the area.
A police source told Malay Mail the trio, from the Bukit Aman Special Task Force for Anti-Vice, Gambling and Gangsterism (STAGG), were walking near Club Echo at about 4.30am when the incident took place.
He said they were returning to their car parked near the club when they came across a scuffle among customers.
“One of the men from the club shouted at the officers, provoking them with gang names before 10 others came charging towards the policemen armed with wooden sticks and assaulted them,” he said.
Two of the officers suffered injuries and received treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur. One of them needed 30 stitches to his head
The next evening, three men, aged 22 to 24, were arrested in the city and in Setapak.
The source said the three suspects were at the club during the incident and were involved in the brawl.
“One of the suspects was apparently part of the fight. He hit several men with his bare hands. Another said he joined in the fight using sticks from a broken wooden bench as a weapon,” he said.
The source said the third suspect saw the scuffle taking place and had gone to get his car before fleeing with his two friends.
“The suspects said they only stopped fighting when an officer flashed his yellow authority card in his face, moments before someone in the crowd shouted ‘police!’,” he said.
The source said at least two more suspects, who go by the monikers “Richard” and “Botak”, were present during the incident and are being tracked down by police.
City Criminal Investigations Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Rusdi Mohd Isa said police were on the lookout for more suspects.
“The STAGG officers told us they were walking past the club when some verbal exchange took place before the clash broke out,” he said.
He said police were investigating all aspects of the case, including if those involved in the fight were secret societies members.
The incident unfolded when a group of six men were attacked outside the club by a drunken mob armed with sticks, where one of the victims starred down the barrel of a gun before managing to escape.
Witnesses said they saw the suspects fleeing the scene in a black pickup truck.
All those arrested have been remanded until tomorrow.
