The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) has pledged that justice will be served in a physical assault case involving seven traffic police officers and Thananop Koedsri, the 33-year-old son of a retired policeman, in Bangkok on Wednesday night.
Deputy Commissioner Noppasin Poonsawat assured that the bureau would conduct a fair and thorough investigation into the seven officers accused of assaulting Thananop. According to Pol Maj Gen Noppasin, the officers forcibly subdued Thananop during a traffic stop in Bang Khen district around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, under the belief that he had fled an alcohol checkpoint five minutes earlier.
The officers, traveling in police trucks and on motorcycles, chased Thananop along Prasert Manukit Road before instructing him to pull over and exit the car. When Thananop refused, the police used force to remove him from the vehicle and handcuff him. The incident left him with injuries to his head and eyes, and he was later taken to Vibhavadi Hospital.
Pol Maj Gen Noppasin confirmed that a disciplinary committee had found evidence of assault by the officers, who also confessed to their actions. They are expected to face an initial charge of physical assault, with additional charges, including violations of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, possibly following further investigation.
The officers claimed that Thananop’s car matched the description of a vehicle driven by an intoxicated driver who had fled a checkpoint shortly before. Pol Maj Gen Noppasin described the incident as a result of police error.
Thananop’s father, Pol Lt Col Thanachai Koedsri, a 60-year-old retired officer, called for a strict adherence to legal procedures throughout the investigation.
