Former drug addict, 26, shot dead by Thai police in chaotic hospital scene after waking from surgery delirious. Armed with a large red axe, he was fatally shot four times. Family demands release of police body cam footage as investigation into the tragic incident unfolds.
Police in Surin, Northeastern Thailand, are investigating the shooting by a responding officer on Friday of a crazed hospital patient. Twenty-six-year-old Apichat Champoo was shot four times by motorcycle police as he marauded through a busy hospital ward with a large red axe. Nevertheless, the officer who shot and killed the former drug addict is facing a murder charge. In the meantime, relatives are calling for the release of video clips of the incident recorded by body cameras worn by the police.
Thai police in Surin are presently investigating the violent death of a patient at Surin Hospital on Friday afternoon. At length, 26-year-old Apichat Champoo appears to have gone berserk after being administered painkillers and anticonvulsants. The young man had previously been operated on at the hospital at 2 a.m. in the morning.
The incident occurred between 1 p.m. and 2:10 p.m. when it was reported to Muang Surin Police Station.
Mr. Apichat was last week taken to Chom Phra District Hospital in Surin Province with abdominal pains. The young man, who was previously a drug addict, also suffered from seizures. This weekend, his family spoke of his tendency to have vivid dreams and sleepwalk.
Appendicitis diagnosis leads to hospital transfer and sparks tragic incident during recovery
Later, he was diagnosed with appendicitis and transferred to Surin Hospital. At length, this is the main provincial hospital in lower Northeastern Thailand or Isan.
The young man was recuperating after his operation in a general care room on the fourth floor of Building Number 3 at the hospital. He awoke there in the afternoon, where he was being overseen by his 56-year-old mother.
Ms. Pranee Banthoengjai was present at the hospital when the shooting took place. However, she had fled the scene, shocked by the ferocious response of her son.
Before that, her son appeared disoriented and in pain when he woke from the surgery. The concerned mother asked nurses for help. Nonetheless, Mr. Apichat kept asking where he was. In particular, he wanted to know what had happened to him and who the people were in the ward.
Family alarmed as patient’s behaviour escalated after surgery and painkiller administration
At length, his mother tried to reassure him. Shortly after that, a nurse administered a painkiller injection.
“Why am I like this? What medicine did the doctor give me?” he reportedly asked his mother. She replied, “The doctor was afraid that if you have a seizure, it will tear the surgical wound, so he gave you an injection.”
Sometime after that, the 26-year-old reawoke and appeared more delirious and aggressive. Indeed, he got up from his bed and violently removed an IV drip attached to his body.
Such was the scene that his mother fled the room. At the same time, she urgently phoned the man’s 36-year-old brother, Mr. Ammarin Champoo. Significantly, Mr. Ammarin was still on the phone with his mother when four shots rang out.
Earlier, hearing the rising disturbance in the ward from his mother, Ms. Pranee reportedly saw her son armed with a large red axe. He had taken this from a fire prevention installation in the wardroom.
Victim’s family defends his character amid rising questions about the handling of the case
Mr. Ammarin revealed that his brother had previously been a drug addict but had been clean for seven years. In addition, the younger man was well-liked locally.
“I would like to say that my younger brother used drugs in 2015 but has quit for seven years now. My younger brother is not a mental patient as claimed. My younger brother likes to join activities with the villagers, is well-liked by the villagers, and is a goalkeeper in the sub-district.”
“I received a call from my mother saying that my younger brother was causing a scene at the hospital and that the police were there to stop the incident. While talking to my mother, I heard four gunshots. I thought that my younger brother was definitely killed by the police. Then I learned that my younger brother was seriously shot by the police and died. I went to Surin Hospital with my mother and relatives. We talked in the conference room of Surin Hospital.”
In the meantime, nursing and medical staff at Surin Hospital had urgently summoned police. Responding to the call were two motorcycle police officers identified as Police Lieutenant Ubon Phonphan and Police Senior Sergeant Major Worasan Daenkamo.
Chaotic hospital ward scene ends with fatal police shooting and growing demand for accountability
Afterwards, the officers testified that upon entering the room, they encountered a chaotic scene. Certainly, they were confronted with a crazed man armed with a large axe and an IV pole.
Indeed, the police officers’ testimony was confirmed by the earlier sighting of the victim’s mother. The officers fired four times. Initially, it appears the officer shot the attacker in the arms but later fired at his torso. The attacker suffered wounds to the arm, palms, thigh and ribs.
Later, medical staff tried to treat the man, who had already been weakened from surgery, but he died at the scene.
His brother, Mr. Ammarin, rushed to the incident, where he and his mother met with senior hospital staff in the facility’s conference room.
Afterwards, his mother, Ms. Pranee, wanted to see CCTV footage of how her son had died.
“I am concerned that my son did not kill anyone and did not seriously injure the patients. He only destroyed their belongings. Why did they have to execute my son? I did not see it during the incident. But for clarity and peace of mind, I asked to see the CCTV footage to see what my son did. Then I would know if my son chased and hit the nurses or who he hit. Yesterday, the deputy director of Surin Hospital came to see me off at home with the body. He expressed his condolences for the incident that no one wanted to happen. The police said it was beyond their control and that it was self-defence.”
On Saturday, just 24 hours after the killing, Police Major General Sukon Sri-arun, Commander of Surin Provincial Police, held an inquiry into the fatal shooting. He was accompanied by the Deputy Commander and the Director of Surin Hospital, Dr. Chawamai Suebnukarn.
Officials attend funeral rites as questions grow over body cam footage and police investigation
The top officials later attended the funeral chanting rites for the young man at a local temple. Indeed, this occasion also saw wreaths from Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsutin and other top Health Ministry officials sent.
At this time, an autopsy has been ordered while the police officer who fired the shots faces a criminal investigation and murder charge. Certainly, Mr. Apichat is also considered a suspect.
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Meanwhile, the family of the dead man is increasingly concerned about the failure of the police to release body cam footage taken from the responding officers.
However, on Saturday, Police Major General Sukon was adamant that these could not be released as they were part of a police investigation.
Furthermore, Dr. Chawamai Suebnukarn, the Director of Surin Hospital, has implored the media to accept that the CCTV facilities in the wardroom were being repaired and were not functional.
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Further reading:
Father murdered by drug addict son while the pair worked together at a Pathum Thani building site
Drug police put retraction behind them to smash billion baht Myanmar drug operation in Bangkok raid
Use of cocaine and cannabis is still highly illegal in Thailand with very serious legal consequences
One of the biggest drug dealers in the South flees home as Thai police and army move against him
Thai man burns down his family home: Thailand’s drugs problem is still a very real threat to society
UK man arrested on drugs charges by CSD police in Pattaya claims ex Thai wife set him up
UK drug dealers living it up in Thailand to be deported back to the UK after arrests in Pattaya
Italian living with Thai wife on Koh Phangan arrested for dealing after drugs found in the post
