Commune police chief shot barber

On August 24, Phan Thiet City Police, Binh Thuan Province, established a working group to work with Tien Thanh Commune Police to clarify the case of the commune police chief going to a citizen's house to shoot him.

In a report sent to the working group of Phan Thiet City Police, Major Bui Chi Hieu admitted to firing a gun on the afternoon of August 22.

On the same day, Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung - Secretary of the Tien Thanh Commune Party Committee - led a working group of the Commune Party Committee to Mr. Le Van Thao's house to verify the incident.

Mr. Thao stated that he had previously had a conflict with his cousin and was invited to the commune police station for questioning many times. Major Bui Chi Hieu sent an invitation to Mr. Thao to come to the commune police station for questioning on August 6, but Mr. Thao did not go because he claimed that he had been there many times.

2 rubber bullets were used by Major Hieu to shoot Mr. Thao. Photo: Thai Ha

On the afternoon of August 22, while Mr. Thao was working as a barber, Major Hieu led a team of nearly 10 people to come. Major Hieu told Mr. Thao to go to the commune police station to work, but Mr. Thao said he was busy cutting hair for customers.

Major Hieu asked Mr. Thao to put down the clippers, but Mr. Thao said no and immediately after that, Mr. Hieu fired two rubber bullets into Mr. Thao's back.

After the shooting, Major Hieu ordered his subordinates to take Mr. Thao to the commune police station. At this time, Mr. Thao cursed and said, "When I go crazy, I'm not afraid of anyone."

At the commune police station, Mr. Thao was beaten many times by Major Hieu.

“I was in so much pain that I had to sign the administrative penalty report for the incident where my cousin and I had a conflict. As for the report that Major Hieu fired the gun because I resisted, I did not sign it because it was not true,” said Mr. Thao.

The police gave the minutes of the meeting with Mr. Thao to a commune official to sign as a witness, but this official refused to sign. Later, the police persuaded this official to confirm that Mr. Thao refused to sign the minutes, saying that Mr. Thao had resisted and was shot.

In another development, Mr. Tran Vinh Tuan (25 years old, residing in Tien An village, Tien Thanh commune) also called for help from Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung about the beating he received from Major Hieu and other police officers on the evening of August 22.

Mr. Tuan stated that on the evening of August 22, he and his family got into an argument. A police officer named Xuan used a motorbike to take Mr. Tuan to the commune police station, saying that he would "go to the commune to cool down."

At the commune police station, Mr. Tuan was beaten by Major Hieu and other police officers. Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung instructed Mr. Tran Vinh Tuan to write a petition to the commune to resolve the case.

According to TTO