Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Tulangbawang Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dwi Irianto was dismissed from his post on Monday following last Tuesday's clash between police officers and locals that left one civilian dead in Tuba Udik, Tulangbawang, Lampung province.
Tulangbawang Udik Police provost unit head Adj. Second Insp. Avit Kurniawan, alias David, who allegedly shot a civilian, was detained at the Lampung Police headquarters on Sunday while his superior, Tulangbawang Udik Police Precinct Chief Adj. Comr. Isan Syahri, was dismissed from his post.
Dwi Irianto was replaced by Adj. Sr. Comr. Shobarmen, previously chief of the Tanggamus Police. "This is just a usual tour of duty and tour of area commonly practiced within the Indonesian Police organization," Lampung Police Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak said during the Tulangbawang Police chief post hand-over at the Lampung Police Headquarters on Monday.
He added that such tours were necessary to maintain the dynamic and performance of the Tulangbawang Udik, Tulangbawang and Tanggamus Police. It was especially so because the newly established West Tulangbawang regency was still under the jurisdiction of the Tulangbawang Police. "That is why it requires harder work, because it covers a wide area," Sulistyo said.
Regarding the clash between the police and residents in Tulangbawang, he said the Lampung Police had set up three field teams to investigate the case.
The first team will conduct proactive measures regarding the police's professionalism in a time of clash. The second team will re-investigating the crime scene. The third is the complete fact-finding team.
Lampung Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Sulistyaningsih said the police professionalism and security department was examining Brig. Mamat Mufahri and First Brig. Redho Agusta. It also was examining civilians M. Solihin, Dulah Madi, Hargono and Pariadi of Terusan Nunyai subdistrict, Central Lampung.
Tuesday's clash at the Tulangbawang Udik Police headquarters, West Tulangbawang regency, stemmed from an incident in which Avit allegedly shot Sahab, 45, a resident of Gunungbatin, Terusan Nunyai, Central Lampung, during an organ music concert.
Enraged by the alleged shooting, hundreds of civilians attacked the police headquarters, reportedly setting fire to a police station and a local journalist's car along the way.
They were reportedly greeted at the headquarters by gun shots. One attacker, Anton Saputra, 28, of Gunungbatin, died in the attack while four others suffered gunshot wounds.
Rozali Umar, the lawyer of those who were shot, hoped the Tulangbawang Police chief's dismissal would not be the end of the investigation into the case. "We urge the police to continue the legal processes against the perpetrators," he said.
Separately, commissioner Johny Nelson of the National Commission on Human Rights said the commission had spoken to a number of witnesses and would separate the cases between the shooting of Sahab and the Tulangbawang Udik police precinct attack.
The shooting of Sahab is being dealt with as a crime as was unrelated to police duties, he said. Avit allegedly shot Sahab in jealousy as the latter approached Indri, a female performer at the concert.
In the police precinct attack, he said the police had acted beyond protocols by allegedly firing live rounds at the attackers, none of whom wielded sharp weapons.
"There was some mistake in the information provided in the intelligence to the police chief that the police established defense and attacked the mob fully armed, killing Anton and injuring the four others," he said.