'I saw police officer pull his gun on protester'

• View Photo'I saw police officer pull his gun on protester'
• View Photo'I saw police officer pull his gun on protester'

An eyewitness has come forward to reveal that a traffic police officer had pulled out his gun and aimed it at a protester during Bersih 3.0 last Saturday.

According to KL Lai, the police officer pointed his gun at a protester at Jalan Esfahan after another officer crashed his patrol car into protesters.

“I saw a protester freeze and put his hands up. The traffic police officer had his back on me.

"When he turned to his right, I saw he had a gun in his hand. The protester then slowly backed up and moved into the crowd,” he said.

Lai, who emailed Malaysiakini with his account, said he had witnessed the incident from the Sogo shopping mall at the corner of Jalan Esfahan and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

“I didn’t go very close... the incident lasted less than a couple of minutes,” he said, noting that it occurred at about 4.30pm.

Lai said he did not see any provocation being made against the police personnel at that point, but there was “a lot of shouting”.

“Police were arresting and beating up people at that point and others were trying to intervene. I did not see anyone throw anything at the police,” he said.

Lai added there were other police personnel in blue uniform in the area but they did not stop the armed traffic police officer.

Video footage evidence

However, Berita Minggu last Sunday reported that a traffic police officer who was on a motorcycle was “threatened” and there were “attempted attacks” against him.

“(But) he succeeded in saving himself as the protesters retreated after he pulled out his gun,” it reported.

Lai’s account is similar to another eyewitness video footage where a traffic police officer is seen aiming his gun at a group of protesters at the corner of Jalan Esfahan and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

The video footage from an anonymous contributor posted by Free Malaysia Today news portal shows the officer aiming his gun at protesters who appear to be moving away from him.

The traffic police officer then steps forward towards the protesters with his gun pointed at them.

The camera then focuses on two other officers in blue uniform standing behind the traffic police officer.

They do not stop the traffic police officer but go after the protesters, with their right hand on what appears to be their gun holster.