Teen shooting: Two-sides of the same story - Malaysiakini

The statement by Azamuddin Omar who was in the car driven by Aminulrasyid Amzah when he was shot dead by police on Apr 26 has put into dispute the police version of what had transpired.

Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar (left), who told reporters the police side of the story, has described the boy's move to speak to the media as "unethical".

Likewise, the Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan has also deemed it inappropriate.

Malaysiakini compared the police's immediate statement on the day of the shooting with that of several witnesses, including 15-year-old Azamuddin's.

THE CHASE

Police version: Khalid (left) told Utusan Malaysia that two police officers spotted a "suspicious" Proton Iswara at Section 14 of Shah Alam.

He said that the driver of the car ignored the police signal to stop, and sped off instead, upon which the officers gave chase, with the assistance of two other officers in another patrol car.

New Straits Times reported that the police managed to corner the car after beating several red lights.

The panel headed by Deputy Home Minister Abu Seman Yusop yesterday traced back what they claimed to be a 6km car chase from Section 7 to Section 11.

Witness version: At the press conference Azamuddin claimed that they were on the way to restaurant Ali Corner in Section 7 Shah Alam to help a friend whose motorcycle had a flat tyre.

"But on the way they grazed another car, causing Aminulrasyid to panic. He wanted to go back to Section 11 (where the boy lived)," he said.

He added that a few men on motorcycles, presumably friends of the owner of the car they grazed, pursued them.

In his police report lodged the night after the incident, the witness said that one of the motorcyclists attempted to overtake the car near Bulatan Kayangan at Section 12.

Instead the motorcyclist knocked the back of the Iswara and fell off his machine.

"Aminulrasyid grew more frightened and sped up without caring about our own or the public's safety," he said in the report.

He told reporters that they had "gone around in circles" during the chase.

THE SHOOTING

Police: "When we arrived at the scene of the incident the officers fired at the tyres to force the car to stop. The car then crashed onto the side of the road," Khalid said.

He added that only one officer opened fire and only four shots were discharged, one of which hit Aminulrasyid on the head.

Witness: Yesterday, the police called Azamuddin (right) for the third time and asked him to confirm if the last shot was fired before or after the crash.

"The police pursued us until the Caltex petrol station and started firing," Azamuddin said.

He added that they managed to shoot the tyres of the car at the corner of Jalan Tarian and Jalan Wau, some 500 metres from the deceased's home, causing the vehicle to swerve uncontrollably.

One of the bullets fired hit the 14-year-old driver's head.

"His body fell onto my lap but his foot was still on the accelerator so the car continued to move and we crashed into a wall," he said, causing police to continue shooting.

However, in his police report the Form Three student said: "The last shot I heard hit Aminulrasyid in the head...and I saw there was a hole oozing blood at the back of his head."

When asked by police on yesterday, Azamuddin said that the last shot was fired when the car was still moving.

The New Straits Times reported that a source familiar with the case said that there were 10 bullet casings found along the alleged 6km chase, with most hitting the bottom of the car.

THE CRASH

Police: "After the crash, (Aminulrasyid)'s friend opened the door of the car and ran off while chased by two patrol officers" said Khalid, of the incident which took place around at 2am.

The other two officers proceeded to inspect the condition of the driver when he attempted to reverse onto them.

"Caught by surprise by the suspect's move to defend himself, the police officers shot in his direction," he told Utusan Malaysia.

Witness: Azamuddin told the Aminulrasyid's family lawyer Karpal Singh that he had climbed out of the back passenger window to surrender after the crash, which took place about 200 metres from Aminulrasyid's home.

"The window was shattered from the crash," he told Karpal, adding that at that point the officers had trained their firearms on him.

"One of them kicked me in the head and they started beating me up," he said, adding that there were about five or six officers involved.

He, however, managed to break free in the struggle and ran in the direction of his home, passing through his school.

Eye witness Zafrullah Ahmad Zainal Abidin in his police report said: "I rushed out of the house and saw someone running in the opposite direction (from the car crash site) and the police were shouting for the person to stop. I saw two or three policemen in uniform with one holding a gun.

"Then, I saw one of the police cars making a U-turn to pursue the person who was (fleeing) the scene. After that, five or six more police cars arrived and cordoned off the scene," he added.

WEAPONS

Police: Khalid told the New Straits Times that the officers found a long parang in the car, believed to have been used in robberies.

Initial reports of the shooting by the Star also noted that the boy was believed to be a part of a robbery gang.

Witness: In his statement to the police in Sunday, Azamuddin claimed that there was no parang in the car.

The owner of the car, Aminulrasyid's sister Tuty Shaninza Anon Amzah and the boy's brother-in-law, Muzafar Mahali also said that no parang was kept in the family car.