PETALING JAYA: Policemen fired warning shots after a suspected robber attacked a cop while trying to stage an escape in Tawau, Sabah, last Friday.
Tawau police chief Rosdi Mat Jusoh said they were conducting an operation at Kampung Titingan, a village built over the sea, to track down three suspects in the armed robbery and attempted rape of an 18-year-old girl earlier that day.
At about 4pm, one of the suspects tried to attack the cops with a steel rod before diving into the sea, Berita Harian reported.
"The suspect tried to hit and drown a policeman while he was being chased, forcing the policemen to fire warning shots. The suspect was eventually arrested," said Rosdi.
He said two policemen were hurt in the incident while the suspect, a foreigner in his 30s, possessed no valid identification documents. He also tested positive for drugs.
Rosdi said a viral video of the incident only showed the warning shots, and maintained that there was no shootout.
Police are still tracking down the other two suspects. The case is being probed for armed gang robbery and the use of criminal force to outrage a person's modesty.