Residents of Srisoonthorn informed Lt Sunan Petchnoo of Thalang Police about the shooting at one a PTT petrol station in Baan Lipon area at 5.20pm yesterday (Oct 27).
Police officers, including Thalang Police Chief Col Somphong Thipapakul and Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Amnuay Kraiwut-Anan arrived at the scene to find Mr Adisak Srisootiyakul, 30, from Phang Nga on the ground with a gunshot wound to his foot. The man was promptly taken to Thalang Hospital and later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town.
The shooter, L/Cpl Ruangrit Jaritngam, 24, was also present at the scene as well as some of his family members. Police officers spent some time persuading their colleague to hand his gun to his father and arrested him as soon as the 9mm semi-automatic pistol was no longer in his hands. L/Cpl Ruangrit and his parents were taken then to Thalang Police Station.
Thalang police said that after questioning the suspect, they learned that L/Cpl Ruangrit was traveling with his parents to receive medical care at Saranrom Hospital in Surat Thani. The family stopped their car at the PTT petrol station to buy water from the convenience store and that was when LCpl Ruangrit “became stressed and shot his pistol at the ground, causing the bullet to ricochet and injure the foot of Mr Adisak who was nearby”.
Commander of Phuket Provincial Police Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen along with L/Cpl Ruangrit's superiors later joined the investigation at Thalang Police Station.
L/Cpl Ruangrit was charged with attempted murder using firearms; carrying firearms in a public place without a permit; firing a gun in a public place without a permit. L/Cpl Ruangrit denied charges. The officer was then released after he paid B50,000 bail.
“The interrogation and other procedures took up to four hours. At a later time, we will conduct another investigation regarding the involvement of his family,” said Thalang Police Chief Col Somphong.
“L/Cpl Ruangrit has paid bail totaling B50,000,” he added.