Police accused of being above the law after sword wielding rampage, shooting

Police vowed at a press briefing yesterday to get to the bottom of a high-profile case in which a cop from a southern province is accused of going ballistic and chasing airport security guards with two swords. kLast Sunday, 29-year-old Do Hoang Phuong Minh of the southern Binh Duong traffic police department, allegedly took affront when he was told not to park his car in an off-limits area at the Da Nang Airport.

According to reports, Minh then brandished two swords from the trunk of his car and chased the security guards who had prohibited him from parking.

At a pressing briefing Wednesday in Hanoi, major-general Trinh Van Kiem of the general Department of Police pledged Minh would be punished and possibly even face criminal charges if proper evidence was levied against him. Kiem also pointed out several other offences Minh had committed like violating traffic regulations, illegally possessing weapons, disturbing public order, and opposing officials on duty.

Kiem ensured there would be no cover-up in this case, though many citizens are skeptical as Minh’s father is the chief of the Communist Party unit in Binh Duong’s Tan Uyen province.

Such scepticism is widespread as many feel that Minh had already escaped justice after another notorious rampage seven-years ago in a Binh Duong karaoke shop. At the time, Minh was accused of firing his gun at a waitress at the karaoke bar after she refused to -go out- with him.

Though Minh apparently missed his target, subsequent police reports confirmed four used bullet shells were found in the karaoke room. Minh was then internally disciplined by police and faced no charges or dismissal.

Last Tuesday, more doubts were raised about Minh’s current case after a local Da Nang police officer offered bisarre excuses for him. Vo Tuong, vice head of Hai Chau district police in Da Nang city, where Minh was taken into custody, denied that Minh had run after the guards.

Tuong said Minh had merely dropped the swords accidentally when taking them out of his car, though no explanation was given as to why he had the swords, or why he needed to take them out of his car before parking properly.

Tuong’s other contention was that the weapons could not even be considered swords as they -did not carry labels-. The car and the two swords are in police custody while Minh has been released.

At the press conference yesterday, local authorities promised they would take action soon after the investigation wrapped up.

 

Category: Society