A fifth suspect was arrested yesterday in the case of a police officer who died earlier this month after being badly beaten, police said.

According to Kampong Siem district police chief Chea Thearith, suspect Prou Sokchea, 20, has been charged with committing intentional violence for his role in the brutal beating of police officer Long Vutha.

On December 16, Vutha was savagely beaten when he tried to intervene in a gang fight. The perpetrators then rode over the police officer with their motorbikes, authorities say.

“Five people are arrested and four are being detained at Kampong Cham Provincial Prison, and the newly arrested one was sent to the police station,” Thearith said yesterday.

According to Thearith, Vutha was sent to Phnom Penh’s Calmette Hospital immediately following the attack, where he underwent two brain surgeries, but to no avail. He was then transferred to a hospital in Vietnam, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on January 16.

Thearith declined to say whether he expected further arrests.