KEPALA BATAS, Aug 4 — An Indonesian man died after a struggle with the police during his arrest for going on a rampage and acting aggressively in an incident at Taman Bukit Jambul, near Bukit Jambul, last Saturday.
Acting Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said an autopsy revealed that the man, believed to be an undocumented migrant due to the absence of valid travel documents, died of a heart attack.
“Based on our investigation, at about 6.20pm on Saturday, police received a public complaint about a man behaving violently and wielding an iron rod at Block D, Taman Bukit Jambul.
“A police team was immediately dispatched to the scene, but upon arrival, the officers were attacked by the suspect, who acted aggressively, punching one of the policemen several times in the face and the back of the head, and attempting to seize his firearm,” he told reporters at a ceremony to dispose of drugs seized by the state police here today.
He added that members of the public at the scene assisted police in subduing the man, who was subsequently taken to the Sungai Nibong Police Station.
Mohd Alwi said the man suddenly collapsed while at the police station and was rushed to Penang Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
He said the autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was a heart attack, and the case has been classified as a sudden death report (SDR).
“We received two police reports related to the incident, one involving the suspect smashing a resident’s car window with an iron rod, and the other involving a break-in at the resident’s flat unit.
“Both acts were committed by the suspect before his violent outburst. Concerned for their safety, residents contacted the police after witnessing the man behaving in an uncontrollable and aggressive manner,” he said.
He said further investigations are underway to identify the man, as he had no identification documents on him, and residents claimed they did not know who he was. — Bernama
