Shop Owner Shoots Burglar in Self-Defense in Betong
A shop owner in Betong, Yala shot a burglar in the leg during a nighttime break-in on September 3rd after confronting the intruder inside his store; the 65-year-old says his registered firearm was used in self-defense.
In Yala, a shop owner awoke to find an intruder in his general merchandise store during the night. He grabbed his gun and fired at the burglar, shooting him in the right leg. The shop owner says his firearm is properly registered under the law for self-defense and property protection.
On the night of September 3rd, investigator Affan Juheng from Betong Police Station received a report of a burglary at house number 89 on Nakrachbumrung Road in Betong District, Yala. The shop owner had detained the intruder, prompting officers including Deputy Chief Ongaj Intrasombat and investigator Rusman Dinamo to respond immediately.
When police arrived, they found the shop was a general merchandise store with a 29-year-old man named Mut lying on the ground in severe pain. His right leg bore a gunshot wound with blood pooling around him. Shop owner Decha, 65, was standing with a .38mm pistol, waiting for authorities. Police rushed the injured man to Betong Hospital for medical treatment.
Officers examined the scene and evidence. They found the injured man had arrived on a red and black Honda motorcycle bearing Pattani license plate 1 Cho 262, which he parked on the nearby sidewalk before climbing into the shop to steal. Background checks revealed the injured man had been arrested by police about four months ago on drug charges.
Decha explained that thieves had tried to break in and steal money from his shop several times before. That night, while he was sleeping in a back room, he heard someone climbing into the shop. He grabbed his gun and rushed out to investigate, finding an intruder inside. He shouted a warning, but the burglar tried to escape toward the entrance. Decha fired one shot, hitting the man in the leg, and immediately called police. He remained at the scene and cooperated fully, as his firearm is properly registered and kept for property protection.
