Siem Reap police are appealing to their counterparts in Banteay Meanchey as well as Thai authorities to stop a police officer, suspected of fatally shooting his friend early on Monday morning in Angkor Thom district, from fleeing to Thailand.

Sour Kimsan, 35, a heritage site police officer, fled west towards the border after allegedly shooting his friend Chea Phearun twice with an AK-47 rifle after a drunken row at a checkpoint near Preah Khan temple, said Angkor Thom district police chief Toch Bunthoeun.

“According to the information that we have received, the suspect now is hiding in Banteay Meanchey and planning to flee to Thailand, so we are now contacting police in Banteay Meanchey and Thailand for cooperation to arrest the suspect,” Bunthoeun said.

According to Bunthoeun, the pair started drinking about 8pm on Sunday night with other friends.

They first began fighting with chairs, though after their friends left, the argument escalated, with officers finding Phearun dead at about 3:38am, having been shot through his hand and chest with the automatic weapon.