Have you ever seen a snatch theft happen and felt like you want to help catch the culprits? Well, you can perform a citizen’s arrest as long as you don’t put yourself in danger but please do not go overboard and start punishing the thieves yourselves.
Source: Twitter
A video went viral when the public caught a snatch thief after he stole a handbag at a coffee shop in Kuching. According to the Borneo Post, the incident happened at 9 am when the victim was having her breakfast.
The suspect tried to get away but rammed his motorbike into a car. He then attempted to flee by foot but was stopped by members of the public.
Source: Twitter
In the video, it can be seen that he had fallen to the ground after trying to run away, but the public continued kicking him and bashing him with plastic chairs.
This has prompted a debate among netizens. Some have said that the ‘punishment’ was too severe.
“Robbery is always wrong. But that doesn’t mean we can take revenge however we like. If he isn’t humane, it doesn’t mean we have to treat him that way. We aren’t the judge, leave it to the cops. This is sick behaviour that needs to be fixed.”
While some have shown their support towards how the snatch thief was treated.
“The easiest method to stop snatch theft”. But if that were the case, it would have stopped by now.
Others were encouraging even further violence:
In regards to the incident, Kuching District police chief ACP Awang Din said,
“We praise the effort of the public in arresting the suspect in this case. However, the public should not go overboard when serving street justice.”
Watch the full video here:
Video kejar mengejar antara orang awam dan peragut.Peragut gagal melarikan diri dan telah dibelasah dan ditangkap oleh orang awam di Jalan Song pagi tadi.Peragut telah diserahkan kepada pihak polis untuk tindakan lanjut. pic.twitter.com/C4n6jwEV1j
— SARAWAK ARITOK (@Sarawak_Aritok) July 18, 2019
Do you think the public was using excessive force when catching the snatch thief, or did he deserve to be treated that way? Share with us your opinion in the comments section below.
Also read: This Snatch Thief is So Afraid of His Wife, He Surrendered Himself to PDRM When He Lost Her Bike
