FIVE men have been arrested in connection with the killing of a 20-year-old police officer who authorities say was stabbed and beaten to death on Sunday night after a verbal dispute erupted at a party in Svay Rieng province’s Chantrea district.

Keo Pong, police chief for Bavet commune, said Tuesday that three suspects remained on the run.

He said the eight suspects, who had been drinking for about three hours, followed the victim, Kong Sok Nang, after the party ended and ambushed him, forcing him to crash his motorbike before beating him and stabbing him to death with bamboo poles and an unknown sharp, metal object.

He added that local villagers who were startled by the sounds of shouting and cursing discovered Kong Sok Nang lying in the road shortly after the attack and took him to hospital, where he died.

Four suspects were arrested later on Sunday, and a fifth was arrested on Tuesday.

“The five suspects are now being held at the provincial police station and will be sent to provincial court [Thursday] to face charges of premeditated murder after they confessed they had beaten the police officer to death,” Keo Pong said.

Mao Phin Phearom, who as Bavet commune police chief was Kong Sok Nang’s boss, described the killing as “very brutal”. He said the victim had suffered multiple head injuries, and that his eyes had apparently been gouged with a sharp object.

He said he believes the alleged killers were friends of the victim, and that the victim’s mother had asked for criminal charges to be brought in the case, as well as US$3,000 in compensation.