KUALA LUMPUR: Members of the public should immediately move away from crime scenes when police officers draw their firearms to confront armed suspects, former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has advised.
He said bystanders standing too close could make officers hesitate to open fire for fear of stray bullets hitting members of the public, potentially giving attackers more room to act.
Musa was commenting on an incident in which a police officer had his right hand severed after being attacked with a parang at an apartment in Desa Aman Puri, Kepong, on Wednesday.
“The presence of many people near the officers may have forced them to consider the safety of those around them before opening fire, giving the attacker room to act more aggressively.
“Many people were standing close to the police officer during the incident. He may have felt it was unsafe to shoot for fear of hitting someone else.
“That is why I believe this incident should serve as a lesson to the public,” he said in a social media video commenting on the standard operating procedures surrounding the incident.
Musa said members of the public should keep their distance whenever police officers had to draw their firearms in response to a threat.
“If something like this happens, do not approach the scene or stand too close to officers on duty.
“When an attacker approaches, police officers may hesitate to shoot because they are afraid of hitting someone else,” he said.
In the Nov 11 incident, Lance Corporal Thierry Rodger Fendy, 26, was attacked by a foreigner armed with two parangs during a police operation.
Police had received information from the public at about 4pm about a man who was believed to be behaving erratically and causing a disturbance.
The suspect rushed out of his residence and attacked policemen, firefighters and Health Ministry staff at the scene.
He fled before being spotted near a playground between 7.30pm and 8pm.
Police fired several shots after the man again attacked officers with a parang. He was pronounced dead while being taken to Selayang Hospital.
Meanwhile, the injured officer underwent surgery to reattach his hand at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.