A Nigerian man was shot and killed by police in Malaysia after allegedly severing a police officer’s right hand during an attack in the Desa Amanpuri area of Kepong, authorities said.
The suspect, who was armed with two machetes, allegedly charged at police officers, firefighters and Health Ministry personnel when they opened the door of a residential apartment at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The emergency responders had been sent to the property after police received a public complaint around 4 p.m. about a man behaving aggressively, Malaysia’s national news agency, Bernama, reported.
Selangor Police Chief Commissioner Shazeli Kahar said the suspect fled after injuring the officer and was later found near a playground, not far from the apartment. When officers tried to arrest him, he allegedly attempted to attack them again, prompting police to fire several shots in self-defence.
“The gunshots injured the suspect, and police personnel made efforts to take him to hospital for treatment,” Shazeli told reporters at Selayang Hospital late Wednesday. The suspect was pronounced dead on arrival, he said.
The injured officer, a 26-year-old lance corporal attached to the Mobile Patrol Vehicle unit at Gombak District Police Headquarters, also suffered injuries to his head and body.
He was in stable condition and undergoing surgery at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Malay Mail later reported on Thursday that doctors had successfully reattached his right hand.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, condemned the attack and wished the officer a speedy recovery. In a statement on Thursday, Anwar said violence against law-enforcement personnel entrusted with protecting public safety was unacceptable. He added that criminal acts must be met with firm action, regardless of who commits them, to uphold the rule of law and protect officers on duty.
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