Pursat town police are investigating a violent incident that occurred on the night of June 5 in Phteah Prey commune’s Peal Nhek II village involving one of their officers, who suffered defensive knife wounds to both of his hands while attempting to stop a fight.

Town police chief Keo Sary said on June 7 that police were searching for the suspect who allegedly attacked the officer with a knife.

He said that 10 people – both men and women – were initially detained for questioning, but all of them were released on June 6.

“We allowed those youths to return home but we required that their parents sign a contract and guarantee that they will stop gathering as a big group late at night,” he said.

Sun Kosal, deputy chief of the judicial police division, said that at about 7pm on June 5, he went out to eat but was not wearing his police uniform. While riding on his motorcycle, he saw a fight taking place between two groups so he stopped and attempted to break it up but was attacked by someone with a knife, which caused serious injuries to both of his hands as he blocked it. The perpetrator then escaped.

According to Sary, after the incident, officers searched for the perpetrators and found one group of suspects who they brought back to the police station for questioning but they turned out to not be involved in the incident and were later released.

Sary said the suspect who committed the crime has already been identified by the authorities through their investigation and they are searching for him. Meanwhile, Kosal is now recovering from his injuries after medics stitched up the knife wounds.