An officer at the military’s artillery headquarters and a motorbike-taxi driver were arrested on Wednesday over a shooting in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district, officials said yesterday.

District military police commander Prom Sakada identified the soldier as First Lieutenant Kol Sokchea, saying he had fired his sidearm into the air while on the back of the unnamed motodop’s bike in Phnom Penh Thmey commune while giving chase to a thief who had made off with his rear-view mirror.

“We arrested them at 3:30pm on Wednesday after we received information from eyewitnesses. The shooter did not run away after firing four times,” Sakada said, noting that Sokchea’s gunplay only encouraged the thief to make a faster – and successful – getaway.

“I sent them to Phnom Penh military police as soon as we arrested them,” he added.National military police spokesman Eng Hy said he was unable to comment until he received an official report from the district military police.