KUCHING: A 32-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly smashing the window of a police vehicle with a hammer inside the compound of the Bau district police headquarters.
The incident occurred shortly before 1 pm on Saturday at the parking area beside the traffic branch office within the Bau district police headquarters complex.
According to police, the suspect approached a marked Nissan Navara belonging to the traffic unit before striking the rear left passenger window with a hammer, shattering the glass.
An officer who witnessed the incident moved quickly to stop the man, with several other officers assisting in the arrest moments later.
Police said the suspect was detained at the scene.
The case is being investigated under Section 90 of the Police Act 1967 and Section 427 of the Penal Code, which covers mischief resulting in property damage.
Initial investigations indicated that an officer stationed near the main building saw the suspect walking towards the parked vehicle.
He then allegedly produced a hammer that had been tucked into his jeans and struck the rear passenger window on the left side of the vehicle, causing it to break.
The officer immediately approached the suspect while calling for assistance from colleagues nearby. With the help of three other officers, the man was restrained and taken into custody.
Police later confirmed that the hammer used in the incident had fallen into the vehicle after the glass shattered and was seized as evidence under Section 27 of the Evidence Act.
No injuries to members of the public were reported.
However, the suspect sustained a minor cut to his right index finger, believed to have been caused by shards of broken glass during the incident.
He was later taken to Bau Hospital for treatment.
During questioning, the suspect told investigators he had travelled from his home earlier that day on his Yamaha Lagenda motorcycle before entering the police compound.
He parked the motorcycle outside the building and walked into the compound carrying the hammer.
Police said he then spotted the police vehicle and deliberately struck the window.
According to investigators, the man later claimed he had been hearing voices accusing him of acting as a police informant on drug users in his village.
He allegedly said he had been unable to cope with the pressure of the accusations and decided to damage the police vehicle so that he would be arrested and placed in police custody.
Investigators said the suspect believed that being detained would prevent others from suspecting him of acting as an informant.
Police identified the man as a Malaysian citizen from Kampung Fairy Cave Bidi in Bau.
He is divorced, has no children and has been working at a funeral service company in the town for about three years.
Officers said he currently lives alone in the village.
A urine screening test carried out by the police narcotics division returned negative results.
Statements have been recorded from the complainant and witnesses, while officers have visited the scene to document the damage and prepare a sketch of the location.
The extent of the financial loss from the damaged vehicle has yet to be determined.
Police confirmed the suspect will be remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code as investigations continue.
Bau district police chief, Superintendent Mohd Haide A. Rahman said the case had been resolved with the arrest of the suspect.
