Police make amends to girl hurt in drug shootout

Pongsapat affirmed that police would fully help the girl and they would carefully review their future strategy in arresting criminals.

The fourth-year student, Somreudee Wanawanan, 22, said she understood police work and knew they didn't mean to harm her and she wouldn't sue them.

Somreudee recalled how she and friends were having a meal not far from the primary shooting scene. They ran into a shop when they heard gunshots, which they thought stemmed from a quarrel.

“I felt numb on my face and blood pouring down my left cheek, while I still heard occasional shooting,” she said.

The shop owner alerted rescue workers to take her to hospital. She said doctor told her the bullet scratched her face and hit her salivary glands; she would need plastic surgery to get back to normal.

Somreudee urged law officers to take full responsibility for her injury and, as police promised to cover her medical expenses and compensation, said she wouldn’t sue them.

Pongsapat said that Somreudee was entitled to Bt20,000 from the government’s crime victim compensation programme and another Bt50,000 from the ONCB Fund.

After visiting Somreudee at the Police General Hospital, Pongsapat went to see a three-month-old boy who was also treated there for minor broken glass scratches. The boy was found in the vehicle of slain drug suspect Warissanon Reungkamon, 32. Pongsapat said the boy was Warissanon’s son and urged his mother to collect him. He said police wouldn’t prosecute her because she had nothing to do with the crime. 

Chief of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau Pol Lt General Chaiwat Chotima said police operations to apprehend suspects always considered public safety.

In this case, police had tailed the suspects from a logistics company in Saphan Khao area where the suspects had allegedly picked up the drugs. When they reached the scene where traffic was light, officers challenged the suspects. The men shot at police seven times and officers had to return fire.

The spot where Somreudee was having her meal was 100 metres from the shooting scene. Consequently, it is still unknown whether the stray bullet came from the suspect’s gun or the police side, he said.

Chaiwat said national police chief Adul Saengsingkaew had instructed him to take care of Somreudee’s medical expenses and also to review police tactics to be more careful.