Death of Thai man after police extortion attempt captured on viral video, sparks public anger
- Police officers from a central Thai province allegedly suffocated the 24-year-old to death with a plastic bag in an attempt to extort US$60,000
- Outraged Thai netizens called out the culture of impunity on social media while the police chief vowed to take legal action
A 10-minute leaked video showing a group of Thai police officers allegedly manhandling a drug suspect by putting a plastic bag over his head to extort money from him has gone viral, sparking outrage on social media.
Thailand’s police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk told reporters on Tuesday the force will build the case and press charges once ready.
According to the police, a station superintendent from Nakhon Sawan province in central Thailand, Colonel Thitisant Utthanaphon, and six officers were involved in the alleged fatal assault on the handcuffed male inmate.
Thitisant – who was suspended from duty – appeared to pull a plastic bag over the unnamed victim’s head for around 90 seconds, forcing him to gag, scream and gasp for breath before pleading “let me go.”