FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Everybody involved in fatal shooting of teenager will be charged: police chief

Everybody involved in fatal shooting of teenager will be charged: police chief

CHARGES WILL BE laid against everyone involved in the Chon Buri road rage incident that led to the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old high-school student, the provincial police chief said yesterday.

Pol Maj-General Somprasong Yentuam said initial examination of CCTV footage near the scene last Saturday showed a number of offences being committed, including double parking, speeding and reckless driving.
“All the offenders will be charged, in accordance with the witnesses statements and evidence we have. Anyone involved in the shooting incident will also face legal action,” he said, referring to possible accomplices.
So far, only the alleged shooter, 50-year-old Bangkok engineer Suthep Poshsomboon, has been charged with murder.
Somprasong said investigations into the shooting were almost complete, adding that he had instructed officers to wrap up the case within the next month.
The shooting took place in Chon Buri after an argument about parking at a local market, which was followed by a road-rage incident and a fistfight.
Camera footage showed a group of teenagers leaving their van to surround |and threaten the engineer and his family in another vehicle. 
The teenagers claim Suthep chased them and they stopped their van to “negotiate” with him, but he pulled out a gun and killed the Bangkok student. Suthep claims the single gunshot was in self-defence because the teenagers were chasing him and surrounded his car, with his wife, mother and young |relative inside. 
On social media, many people yesterday called on police to also take legal action against the driver of the van carrying the youths who they said should also be held responsible for what happened.
They said the shooting would not have happened if the van driver had not cut in front of the accused man’s car and stopped to allow the youngsters out following an earlier road rage incident. 

Meeting the Justice official cancelled 
Meanwhile, Suthep yesterday cancelled a scheduled meeting with Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Dusadee Arayawuth, citing health problems.
Suthep had reportedly wanted to seek legal advice and apply for witness protection after his family had allegedly been threatened.
Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said yesterday that the police would ensure justice for all sides involved. 
He said investigators would submit their report to public prosecutors within an 84-day framework.
In a related development, the cremation of the slain student was held yesterday afternoon at Bangkok’s Noi Noppakhun Temple. 
His mother, Maneeporn Puangpai, said she had not been contacted by any officials regarding the case. As she could not do anything about the tragedy, she would wait for result of the police investigation, she added.

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