Angkor Thom district police in Siem Reap province said they are searching for a heritage site protection cop suspected of shooting his friend to death early yesterday morning.

Sour Kimsan, 35, allegedly killed his former buddy, 28-year-old Chea Piron, with an AK-47 assault rifle, after a night of drunken arguing, police said.

“We are working our arms and legs off to find the officer, who fled the scene after killing his friend,” said Touch Bunthoeun, the Angkor Thom district police chief. “So far, we have not found him.”

According to Bunthoeun, the suspect and the victim were drinking with four or five friends near a protected heritage checkpoint, when something set them off.

The two at first attempted to fight it out with chairs, but their other friends pulled them apart.

Eventually, those who had intervened went home at about 3am, leaving Kimsan and Piron alone. Hostility flared back up and Kimsan allegedly shot Piron twice with his rifle.

“The victim got hit in the hand, in his chest and [out] through his back,” said Bunthoeun.