Two men were detained on Monday in Kampong Chhnang province’s Khsam commune after the court charged them with physically assaulting a police officer. The victim suffered serious injuries to his leg.

The suspects were named as Pov Po and Reth Sarorn, both 29, and residents of the commune, said Kampong Chhnang deputy police chief Pol Vuthy.

On Sunday morning, the men started drinking together in Village 1 but the situation quickly turned sour when an argument broke out between the two. The discussion soon led to a full-blown fight.

The victim, Sous Sary, a Khsam commune administration police official, intervened to stop it but was hit by one of the brawlers with a metal bar.

“When he saw the fight, the police officer intervened to stop it, but the suspects beat him and broke his leg,” Vuthy said.

Kampong Chhnang town police chief Chhay Kemroth said the aggression was not intentional.

“The suspect didn’t intend to hit the officer with the steel bar. He was very mad and swung the bar wildly to hit the other man but missed and hit the officer instead.

“It was not intentional,” he said, noting that the victim was now recovering in the provincial referral hospital.

Kemroth said the suspects were sent to the local police station and then to the provincial police station. On Monday, the provincial court charged them with using violence with aggravating circumstances.

On Monday morning, a group of police officers, led by Kampong Chhnang provincial police chief Khov Ly, visited the victim at the hospital and brought him food and other necessities, Kemroth said.

A similar case took place on January 18, in Kampong Speu province. Kampong Speu provincial police detained Touch Heng, 28, in Phnom Sruoch district after he fatally shot a deputy police chief and injured another.

The suspect shot the police officers when they intervened to stop a fight in which he was involved.