Shootout: Police say man shot bystander

Written by Khouth Sophak Chakrya

Friday, 03 April 2009 Phnom Penh Post

Shootout A man identified as Nuo Chanta, a lawyer and former chief investigation judge for the Military Police, is suspected of shooting a Phnom Penh bystander after a hit-and-run that led to a shootout with police. Meanchey district Police Chief Hing Narith said Nuo Chanta, a lawyer registered with the Cambodian Bar Association, fled police after crashing into a tuk-tuk taxi carriage. In the ensuing chase, police tried to disable the suspect's car by shooting out its tyres, prompting the suspect to return fire with a handgun, he said. The victim, a 27-year-old store clerk named Mein Piseth, told the Post by phone from Calmette Hospital that he was shot in the stomach while riding a bicycle home from work. "I heard the shooting going on in front of me but I kept going. I saw the car's tyres were flat and the owner was shooting back at police. Suddenly, I was shot," he said. He added that he did not know who shot him.