Lampung – Police on Tuesday said they sanctioned two police officers who shot directly at a crowd of people during a clash in Mesuji, Bandar Lampung.

The sanction included 14 detention days, a transfer to office service duty at the Lampung police office, a suspension of rank promotion and a salary freeze for some time.

"We're investigating the possibility of crime sanctions for both of them," Brig. Gen. Jodie Rooseto, Lampung police chief, said on Tuesday. "It is now being analyzed whether they intentionally shot [at the crowd] or not."

The two police officers are Adj. Comr. Wetman Hutagaol from Tulangbawang police and Adj. Second Insp. Dian Permana.

Jodie admitted that police shot civilians during a conflict between locals and plantation company Barat Selatan Makmur Investindo in Mesuji district in November. One local died and many others suffered gun wounds during the clash. However, Jodie claimed police followed procedure.

"The shooting by police officers was according to procedure. They fired warning shots." He claimed that people did not move back after the warning shots were fired. Police had to fire rubber bullets and blanks at people, targeting them below the belt.

"If it was not done, people would only have caused worse destruction," Jodie said. "So, the shooting was mainly to disperse the mass that tended to be dangerous."

He claimed that people who died or who were wounded during the shooting might have been hit by deflected bullets.