The police officer, who was arrested after a day-long armed stand-off with special operations officers at his house in Bangkok’s Sai Mai area, has died from wounds he sustained during the siege.
Pol Col Rangsan Sornsing, superintendent of Sai Mai police station, said today (Thursday) that Pol Lt-Col Kittikarn died at about 10pm at Bhumibol Hospital, to which he had been admitted for emergency treatment yesterday afternoon.
He disclosed that there was a shootout when the Arintaraj police unit stormed the house where Kittikarn was holed up at about noon yesterday, adding that the officer, who had psychiatric problems, tried to escape arrest by jumping through a window on the second floor of the house.
Pol Col Rangsan also said that Kittikarn was found to have been shot and was rushed to Bhumibol Hospital for emergency treatment before being pronounced dead.
Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, the national police chief, has pointed out that this tragic incident should serve as a lesson to all senior police officers to closely observe their subordinates who develop psychiatric problems and need counselling, according to Royal Thai Police Spokesman Pol Maj-Gen Archayon Kraithong.
He said that the Royal Thai Police will compensate people in the neighbourhood whose property was damaged during the stand-off.
According to Pol Maj-Gen Atthaphon Anusit, commander of the 2nd division of Metropolitan Police Bureau, Kittikarn suffered from cumulative stress due to family and health problems.
Kittikarn failed a psychiatric test and doctors from the Police General Hospital were about to visit him to arrange treatment for him, but the officer became agitated and started shooting at his house, prompting a police unit to be sent to the house to try to disarm him.
