A police patrolman was shot dead as he was chasing a suspicious motorcyclist in Pak Chong district of Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima on Tuesday night.

The victim was identified as Pol Lance Corporal Atthaphol, attached to Pak Chong district police station. He was shot once with a shotgun pistol.

The investigative commander of Region 3 Provincial Police Bureau, Pol Maj-Gen Chusak Chantharojkit, said that Atthaphol was usually accompanied by a partner on routine patrol missions adding, however, that his partner was engaged in other activities and he went on patrol alone.

He also said that Atthaphol might have given chase while calling out for the suspect to stop, only to be shot at.

Chusak said police will check CCTV along the route which the assailant used to escape from the scene.

Villagers in the neighbourhood heard the gunshot and went to investigate. They found the patrolman lying on the road, not far from a motorcycle.

He was rushed to the district hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.