Bloody Face Viral, Police Reject Repressive Action At Lubuk Paraku Inclusion Post

Lubuk Kilangan Police Chief AKP Lija Nesmon. (BETWEEN/AKP personal documents lija Nesmon)

PADANG - A video of a man with a bloody face claiming to be "blind" went viral on social media on Saturday, July 18. The man, known as a former legislator named Awaludin Rao, admitted to being a victim of repressive actions by the authorities at the Lubuk Paraku area blockade post, on Friday, July 16 morning.

The Lubuk Kilangan Police Sector, Padang, West Sumatra, immediately dismissed the allegations. The police said that the video did not show the whole incident, causing a misunderstanding in the community.

"It is not true that there was repressive action in that incident, we regret the video that went viral as if we had taken (repressive) action," said Head of the Lubuk Kilangan Police Sector AKP Lija Nesmon, in Padang, Sunday.

Lija Nesmon said the incident began when the driver was about to enter Padang via the Lubuk Paraku Blocking Post on Friday, July 16, at around 02.30 WIB.

The vehicle was then stopped by the officer to check the driver's documents as a requirement to enter Padang City during the emergency PPKM period.

These requirements are in the form of a vaccine certificate and the results of a PCR or antigen test that declares COVID-19 free. However, he and his colleagues could not show the requirements so they were asked to turn around like other vehicles that did not meet the requirements.

"When asked to turn back, the driver did not accept, protested, and started provoking the officers, even though we were only carrying out our duties according to the rules and regulations," he explained.

The driver continued to refuse when asked to get into the car to make a U-turn. Not long after, he continued, the man's face looked bloody and he admitted that he was stabbed by the officer with a pen.

On the basis of this information, he finally asked Awaludin Rao to show which officer had stabbed him, but he could not show them.

"In the video that went viral, the driver also claimed to have been stabbed and his eyes were "blind", even though the wound was on his temple and we were the ones who took him to the hospital," he explained.

The driver in the video says that he is a resident of Padang and went to Solok for about half an hour to see his truck which had an accident. He claimed to have obtained permission from the postal officer when he was about to leave Padang.

"When we asked which officer he admitted to forgetting, when asked for his identity card (KTP) he didn't want to show it," he said.

Therefore, he deeply regrets that the video has gone viral on social media because it is considered incomplete and complete, thus giving a negative stigma to officers.

"In fact, joint officers have worked extra at the isolation post and are firm by prioritizing a humanist attitude," said Lija Nesmon.