Tense armed stand-off in Bangkok ends with police storming the house

Firing teargas and rubber bullets, special operations officers stormed a house in Bangkok’s Sai Mai area today (Wednesday), to subdue an armed former police officer and end a tense 27-hour armed stand-off which began yesterday morning.

The police officer, identified as Pol Lt-Col Kittikarn, sustained serious injuries during the operation at about 12.10pm. An ambulance was seen leaving the house carrying the injured police officer.

Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, the deputy national police, was at the scene to supervise the police operation and told the media that the armed man will be sent to the ER of Bhumibol Hospital for treatment.

A police officer from the Second Division of Metropolitan Police Bureau, told the media that Kittikarn, could not speak to police yet because he is very weak, having not eaten or slept for two days.

He disclosed that Kittikarn was in the middle of the process of being transferred to another division because of his psychiatric problems, which may stem from stress at work or at home.

He said, however, that Kittikarn might have lost control after doctors at the Police General Hospital were about to send him for psychiatric assessment.

Before the police use of force to end the stand-off, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, the national police chief, arrived at the scene at about 11.30am. He told the media that he had tried to talk with Kittikarn, but the effort was fruitless because the man was tense and suspicious of other people.

With the completion of the mission, the special operations police unit returned to their headquarters, leaving forensic teams to inspect the house and gather evidence. About 60 bullet casings were found.

Kittikarn is reported to have fired multiple shots into the air and was heard shouting, sparking fear among people living in the neighbourhood.

A special operations police team arrived at the scene at about noon yesterday and tried to persuade the suspect to come out, only to be at fired at from the house.

His mother and son were also brought to the scene to plead with him to surrender, also without success. Police even tried to flush him out of the house with teargas and stun grenades, but to no avail until, finally, they decided to storm the house.