Man arrested after throwing grenade at police
A drug suspect threw a grenade at pursuing police after he sped his pickup truck through a road checkpoint in Chumphon’s Tha Sae district on Tuesday.
A tragedy for bystanders and residents along the road was avoided when the grenade’s detonator lever broke off, and no explosion occurred.
The pickup driver, Suchart Damkham, 35, was arrested shortly after he threw the grenade, as his vehicle lost control and hit a power pole. Police said they found 10,000 methamphetamine pills in the vehicle.
Police saw Suchart’ s vehicle approaching a road checkpoint on Phetkasem road in Moo 2 village in Tambon Hong Charoen at 9.30am and signaled for him to stop.
But he sped his pickup through the checkpoint. Police tried to stop him with spike trap that burst the vehicle’s front left tyre, but Suchart kept on driving.
Police at the checkpoint pursued Suchart in a vehicle. He made a turn three kilometres later into Ang Thong-Ban Ran Tadphom road, where there is a community with a lot of houses.
When the police vehicle approached, Suchart allegedly threw the grenade at them, prompting several people at the spot to run for cover. Then Suchart’s pickup lost control and hit the power pole.
A bomb disposal unit later removed the grenade.