KUALA LUMPUR: Police said it had taken necessary measures in its pursuit of a Perodua Bezza between Petaling Jaya and Cyberjaya yesterday.
Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said it followed standard operating procedures throught the entire car chase.
"Yes, the amount (of patrol cars) was necessary," Hussein told the New Straits Times when asked about the 28 patrol cars that were in pursuit of the car in the viral incident.
He said the police could not open fire without any reason in such a situation because it needed to consider the three main factors public safety, the type of crime committed, and the implication if no action was taken in such a case.
Police deployed as many as 28 patrol cars in the high speed pursuit.
Following the chase, a man and a woman were detained while two other men escaped.
Before the incident, the police patrol cars had been tailing the car from Petaling Jaya.
It is understood that before the event unfolded, three men and a woman were seen driving the car suspiciously before police on patrol attempted to stop them.
As the police attempted to make the arrest, the suspects accelerated the vehicle before a pursuit ensued.
In a viral video of the incident, 28 police patrol vehicles from a number of police district headquarters- including 18 from Petaling Jaya, where the chase started- went in hot pursuit of the Perodua Bezza to Cyberjaya.
During the process of apprehending the suspects, two men managed to jump out of the vehicle and escape, while the other man and woman were successfully detained.
Further investigation revealed burglary tools inside the car.
Petaling Jaya district police chief Assistant Commisioner Mohd Fakhrudin Abd Hamid said it seized a knife, a pair of scissors, a set of gloves, cycling helmet, an identification card belonging to another individual and four debit cards from the car.
Netizens took to social media to comment on the case. They compared as to how differenly police from other countries may have handled the situation.
