RATCHABURI – Ratchaburi Governor Kittisak Tongsiri ordered on March 13 a full legal prosecution against a 60-year-old American man who assaulted a 59-year-old police officer by choking him violently.
The incident occurred on 6 March at a convenience store in a village in Mueang district, Ratchaburi province. The victim, Pol. Capt. Atttaporn Premjit, was sitting at the store eating when the American man, identified as John, walked around the incident area. John then grabbed Atttaporn from behind and choked him until he lost consciousness.
John later sent two lawyers to negotiate a settlement, but Pol. Capt. Atttaporn refused to drop the report. Pol. Lt. Pipaht Paenghom, the investigating officer, has asked Pol. Capt. Atttaporn to give additional testimony and has also called in witnesses to the incident. The police are waiting for the results of a medical examination of Atttaporn to determine the extent of his injuries before charging John.
According to the investigation, John married a Thai woman in 2011. His wife is reportedly from Bangkok. John works as an English teacher for children in the area. The police are investigating whether he has a work permit. If he does not, he will face additional charges.
The owner of the convenience store, Ms. Tuangporn, 64, said that John is a regular customer, but he does not come often. She said that on the day of the incident, John parked his car in front of the store and walked in. He walked in and out of the store two or three times before he saw Pol. Capt. Atttaporn. He then walked up to Pol. Capt. Atttaporn and strangled him.
“At first, I thought they were playing, but then I saw Pol. Capt. Atttaporn was being pushed against the wall and couldn’t move. His eyes were rolling back in his head, his mouth was open, and his arms were limp. I ran out to scream for help, then ran back in and pulled the foreigner’s hand away. He kept talking, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying,” she said.
A man named Boy, who is the manager of a construction company, happened to be passing by and helped to chase John away. John gave Boy the middle finger and pushed him, causing him to lose his balance and hit a marble table in front of the store. As John was walking away, he raised his middle finger again and tried to run over Boy with his car.
Tuangporn then called John’s wife, who said that she was out of town. She and Boy went to the police station with Atttaporn to file a complaint.
Tuangporn added that John has had problems with neighbors in the past. He once climbed onto a neighbor’s roof and dangled his legs there. The owner of the house asked him to leave, but he refused and even went back inside. After the incident with Pol. Capt. Atttaporn, John returned to Tuangporn’s store and smiled as if nothing had happened.
Immigration officials in Ratchaburi are also involved in the investigation. They are investigating whether John’s actions pose a threat to public safety or whether he has committed other criminal offenses.
