Police-FPI Clash: Police Hunt Down Four FPI Members Bolting from Scene

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ahmad Ramadhan said Jakarta Metro Police investigators were still hunting down the four members of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) who fled the scene of the deadly clash between police personnel and FPI members in Cikampek, Karawang, West Java on Monday, December 7, 2020.

“Investigators from the Jakarta Metro Police are still on the lookout for the four FPI members, assisted by members of the General Crime Directorate (Dirtipidum) of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (Bareskrim),” Ahmad told a press conference on Monday, 14 December 2020.

Ahmad said the four, who were inside an Avanza car, was obstructing the police’s car during the incident, which took place in front of Hotel Novotel Karawang.

“They even rammed their car into the officers’ car. In the reconstruction, the car hit the right front side of the [officers’] car, then fled,” he said.

As reported earlier, a group of police personnel clashed with supporters of FPI leader Rizieq Shihab in the Cikampek area, resulting in the deaths of six members of the latter’s party.

Jakarta Metro Police Chief Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran said the people who attacked the police officers were part of the mobs deployed to guard Rizieq Shihab for his scheduled police questioning. They were all in one car.

Fadil said the police, feeling their lives were threatened, opened fire on the alleged followers of Rizieq. “Six people died, while four others bolted from the scene,” he said.

Separately, FPI sec-gen Munarman said the shootout never occurred, claiming none of FPI members were equipped with firearms nor bladed weapons. He said the FPI members’ car were tailed by a group of unidentified people who were not in uniform. The release by the Jakarta Metro Police Chief later revealed the people were Jakarta Metro Police personnel.

Read: Jasa Marga on FPI-Police Clash: CCTV Cameras On But Problematic

FRISKI RIANA