Navy officer in shootout while helping woman being attacked

A THAI NAVY officer shot a man in self defence after moving in to help his former girlfriend just as he was attacking her upon being shot at first with the latter later dying at a hospital, Naewna newspaper said today (July 1}.

The shootout occurred in Samaesan subdistrict, Sattahip district, Chonburi province, at 1.30 a.m. with Pol. Col. Thanit Phakdee, deputy inspector at Sattahip police station, rushing there with two other policemen and Sawangrojanathamsathan Foundation rescuers.

At the scene they found Mr. Chavalit (surname withheld), 38, in severe condition after being shot twice with rescuers quickly taking him to Somdech Phra Nangchao Sirikit Hospital but he later died there,

Navy officer CPO 1 Thanongsak (surname withheld), 48, was standing there waiting for them and handed over his Smith and Wesson pistol and the attacker’s modified .380 calibre pistol as well as two bullet casings each from both firearms.

Also standing there in front of her pickup truck in a state of shock was Miss Chanusada (surname withheld), 38, with a bullet having shattered the windshield.

She told police after driving to her house in this subdistrict she saw that the badly injured man, who was her former boyfriend, was standing there waiting for her. He had been harassing her for months in trying to patch things up and she had filed a police complaint against him.

She then tried to drive away but could not as her ex-boyfriend, who was accompanied by another man, moved their vehicle in front of hers. He then jumped out of his vehicle and shot at the windshield then came and pulled her out of the pickup truck.

Just then CPO 1 Thanongsak intervened and pulled her ex-boyfriend away from her but the latter drew his pistol and fired two shots at him but missed.

CPO 1 Thanongsak then pulled out his pistol and likewise fired two shots in self defence and seriously wounded the attacker. At that point his friend quickly sped away.

CPO 1 Thanongsak said he saw that the young woman was in danger having previously seen the attacker cursing her in front of her house.

With Chanusuda having phoned him asking for help he quickly came over and saw her ex-boyfriend assaulting her. He then pulled him away from her but he fired two to three shots at him so he pulled out his pistol and shot him in self defence.

Police have initially recorded the incident and confiscated the two pistols while taking the woman and the navy officer to the police station for further interrogation.

CAPTION:

The scene of the shootout in Sattahip this morning, July 1, 2023. Photos: Naewna