Yesterday evening, a mother and her baby in East Jakarta escaped from an extremely traumatic experience after they were held hostage at knifepoint in an angkot public minivan.
According to reports, a man identified as Hermawan, 28, hopped onto the back of the angkot before brandishing his knife at other passengers, demanding that they hand over money and valuables. When the angkot stopped at a traffic light, two of the passengers screamed for help and escaped the minivan, causing Hermawan to panic and grab the two remaining passengers, a woman, identified as 25-year-old Risma Oktaviani, and her sleeping baby.
A traffic policeman by the name of Adjunct First Inspector Sunaryanto was in the area and immediately engaged in negotiation with Hermawan. A large crowd gathered to witness the ongoing crime scene at this point (as many Indonesians are wont to do) while some filmed the incident, giving us a close look at how the horrifying events unfolded.
(Warning: Videos may contain disturbing scenes)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSr5m6yhWgO/
The first three videos show a clear view of Hermawan holding a knife against Risma’s throat with her sleeping baby still in her arms, while he, visibly agitated, screams for the crowd to disperse so that the angkot driver can drive them away from the scene. At the same time, some men tried to converse with him to calm him down, while other members of the crowd taunted Hermawan by saying things like, “Be patient, you nutcase,” and “Have you not eaten or something?”
Skip to the last two videos, it appeared that Risma and her baby had already been rescued. Some onlookers took justice into their own hands by beating the helpless Hermawan in the angkot, while some can be heard calling for him to be burned (a form of mob punishment not without precedence in Indonesia).
What reportedly happened in between is that officer Sunaryanto fired a shot that pierced Hermawan’s right arm after he lunged at the suspect. Risma and her baby were then immediately rescued after being held hostage for around 30 minutes. A video taken from the other side of the angkot shows this event unfold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvNXsI72lIQ
Police say Risma suffered a small injury to her neck after having the knife pressed against her throat. Thankfully, her baby escaped uninjured.
Meanwhile, Hermawan was taken to the National Police Hospital to have his gunshot wound treated. To the police, he admitted that he often mugs women and uses the money to feed his gambling addiction. It’s not yet known what criminal charges he would face.
Meanwhile, higher ups at the Jakarta Metro Traffic Police department said officer Sunaryanto is set to receive an award for his heroics and impeccable aim.
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