SURAT THANI - A police captain has been suspended from duty and faces criminal charges after firing multiple shots at the local office of the prime minister's Bhumjaithai Party on Saturday.
Details were released on Sunday by Pol Maj Gen Patrawit Keetamotaneeyakul, training commander of Provincial Police Region 8.
He said Pol Capt Ekachai Supitak, 37, a deputy inspector at Provincial Police Region 8 training command, fired multiple gunshots at the office of Bhumjaithai MP for Surat Thani Pichai Chompupol in tambon Sawiat of Tha Chang district at 8.20am on Saturday.
Thirteen spent 9mm cartridge shells were found at the scene. Staff were present in the party office at the time, but no one was injured. The MP had not arrived there yet.
Pol Capt Ekachai was subsequently arrested at Central department store in Muang district on Saturday evening. He faces criminal prosecution and a serious disciplinary investigation. His firearm licence was revoked.
The commander said Pol Capt Ekachai was a legal affairs officer at Provincial Police Region 8 training centre and was being treated for mental stress and panic. He was a barrister-at-law and joined the police force in 2016.
Pol Capt Ekachai told interrogators that his elder brother had been threatened by MP Pichai, and he took revenge.
Surat Thani police deputy commander Pol Col Natchanon Kerdkor said the elder brother denied he had been threatened by the MP. His younger brother might have suffered a misunderstanding.
Pol Col Natchanon said Pol Capt Ekachai's mother and his elder sister both confirmed he suffered from stress and had a problem controlling his temper, and was undergoing treatment at Chaiya Hospital.
