Former Cop Attacks 66-Year-Old Woman With Iron Rod

Phatthalung — Officers from Muang Phatthalung Police Station, led by Sergeant Major Methapol Pothikul, detained a 42-year-old former police officer who previously served in Southern Border Region provinces after he used an iron rod to attack a 66-year-old woman, injuring her right arm. The incident occurred at a grocery and metal-welding shop next to Tha Khae Market, Tambon Tha Khae, Muang District, Phatthalung Province.

According to initial investigation, the suspect was alone at the shop when the victim arrived to have metal welded. She asked him if his father was there, and when he said no, she pressed further with questions about where he had gone and when he would return. This caused the suspect to become agitated. He told her to leave, but she refused, prompting him to attack her with the iron rod.

When detained, the suspect claimed he was unhappy about her repeated questioning and told her to leave multiple times before the incident occurred.

The suspect's 70-year-old mother stated she was not home during the attack but was informed by phone. She revealed a similar incident had happened previously when a villager asked her son multiple questions, causing him to attack that person as well. The mother explained her son previously served as a police officer in three Southern Border provinces and had witnessed a bombing in which a fellow officer was seriously injured—an experience that traumatized him and led him to resign from the police force. Although the family had previously sought medical consultation for his mental health, he had not undergone serious treatment.

Following this incident, the family is preparing to seek comprehensive mental health care and treatment for the suspect. Police are proceeding according to legal procedures.