M. Aribowo, Suara North Sumatra – A video showing a police officer hitting a youth until they fall to the side of the road in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra has gone viral.
Viewed on Thursday October 14, a uniformed police officer can be seen hitting a youth in the face until they fall to the ground. Angered over the beating, the youth tries to resist.
However the police officer again approaches the youth and again hits them and throws them to the ground. A colleague of the police officer then arrives and separates the two.
A housewife is then seen running towards them and shouting who then embraces the injured youth. "Pak [Mr] policeman, this is my child", cries the woman.
The images of the brutal beating were recorded by a local person who was at the scene of the incident, and as soon as it was shared on social media netizens were shocked.
When sought for confirmation, Deli Serdang municipal police chief Senior Commissioner Yemi Mandagi confirmed the assault saying that the incident occurred when a youth by the name of Andi Gultom committed a traffic violation.
He said that an officer from the Deli Serdang municipal police traffic unit stopped the youth and a dispute broke out ending with Second Deputy Police Inspector G assaulting the youth.
Mandagi has apologised to the public, particularly the victim and their family. "We have taken the move to apologise to their family, and the family has also forgiven us for the behaviour of the police officer", he said.
Gultom said that they will take firm measures by removing Second Deputy Police Inspector G from his post. "The officer has already been removed from his post, and is being processed. There won't be any examination by the professionalism and security affairs division", he said.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Oknum Polisi Pukuli Warga hingga Terkapar di Deli Serdang, Caranya Brutal".]
