Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian reprimanded on Thursday officers who posed with the bodies of five alleged thieves killed during a shoot-out early Saturday morning in Lampung.
Tito plans to fly to Lampung on Friday to personally lead an evaluation of the incident, which has sparked public outrage.
A picture that has gone viral on social media shows 13 officers striking a pose with fists raised over five bodies sprawled on a grass lawn.
"I appreciate the officers' success in stopping these criminals, who had stirred fear among local residents, but their actions were unethical, inhumane and unprofessional," he told reporters.
In the center of the controversy are Lampung Police officers who are members of the Lampung Anti-Bandit Squad (Tekab) 308. They reportedly caught the alleged motorcycles thieves in the act and surrounded them before engaging in a shoot-out.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen Rikwanto released a statement on Wednesday, saying the police will conduct an investigation into who had uploaded the picture, which was reportedly taken outside of a morgue at 2 a.m., mere hours after the shoot-out.
Rikwanto also apologized to the public for the gruesome picture. (hol)