Khon Kaen: The gunman responsible for shooting the president of the Phon Jan Subdistrict Administrative Organization was shot and killed by police officers after a tense standoff. The incident unfolded when officers attempted to apprehend the suspect, Mr. Yutthaphon, who had fled to Khon Kaen Province following the attack in Nakhon Phanom Province.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Yutthaphon used an AK47 to seriously injure Mr. Winai, 56, the president of the Phon Jan Subdistrict Administrative Organization Council, before fleeing to Ubonrat District in Khon Kaen Province. Law enforcement spent over eight hours attempting to persuade Mr. Yutthaphon to surrender, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and the suspect engaged in a gunfight with the officers.
Witnesses reported that the suspect was seen in the morning with a backpack concealed under his shirt, suggesting he was carrying something. Shortly after, police and local authorities arrived and chased him into a sugarcane field. Mr. Kraisorn Kongchalat
, Governor of Khon Kaen Province, coordinated efforts with over 100 personnel, including rescue vehicles and police officers, to surround the area.
Despite attempts to negotiate with Mr. Yutthaphon, he resisted and fired back, leading to a gunfight with approximately 10 shots exchanged. The shootout ended with the suspect’s death. Governor Kraisorn and senior police officers secured the area, ensuring public safety and initiating a forensic investigation.
Pol. Col. Anuwat Suwannaphum, Commander of Khon Kaen Provincial Police, revealed that officers had been tracking Mr. Yutthaphon since villagers reported suspicious activity near a school. Despite repeated negotiation attempts, Mr. Yutthaphon refused to surrender, further complicating the situation by contacting relatives to express his unwillingness to be captured. Ultimately, officers were compelled to use lethal force, resulting in the suspect’s death in the sugarcane field behind Saladin Huai Toei School. Authorities recovered two firearms from the scen
e: an AK47 rifle and a .38 caliber handgun.
Investigations revealed that Mr. Yutthaphon had a criminal history, including arrests for obstructing an officer in 2009 and drug possession in 2019. Prior to his final confrontation with law enforcement, he had attacked Mr. Winai, further escalating his conflict with authorities, which ultimately led to his demise.