Teen’s family want police nod for another autopsy

Johari's grandmother speaking to the media.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The family of Johari Abu Bakar shot dead by police last Friday will seek approval tomorrow for a second post-mortem on the 17-year-old youth.

PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya confirmed with The Malaysian Insider today the appeal will be sent in writing to the Sepang district police chief in the morning.

“We need to find out if they are willing to agree to a second post-mortem before taking it further,” she explained when contacted.

Should the police refuse the request or fail to respond, Latheefa said the family will then file a petition in court.

Johari, a school dropout who became an odd-job worker, was killed in a shootout with the police behind a budget hotel at the Cyber Valley Commercial Centre, Dengkil, at about 10.30pm on Friday.

According to the police, the youth was believed to have been hiding in the hotel with four other suspects after they allegedly stole a Toyota Alphard near Taman Megah, Kelana Jaya, on May 10.

He was purportedly gunned down after he opened fire at the cops when he was ambushed outside the hotel.

Johari’s family members are however questioning the circumstances surrounding the boy’s fatal shooting, accusing the police of giving inconsistent accounts of the incident.

They have also complained of “suspicious” signs of assault seen on Johari’s body, like a broken right arm.

Johari’s family members, including his mother, grandmother and two brothers, lodged a police report on the incident at the Damansara police station on Sunday, seeking an independent investigation into the boy’s death and urging for a second post-mortem.