An unemployed woman told the High Court today that police intentionally shot her during a car chase four years ago.
Norizan Salleh, 33, who is pregnant and due next month, also said she overheard a policeman saying that she and her three friends in the car would have been dead if the incident had not taken place in a busy area.
“I was already shot but still conscious although I was having breathing difficulties,” Norizan told the court.
She was testifying in a civil suit which she filed against the police for wrongfully shooting her at the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) three years ago.
She named a policeman identified only as Mohd Firdaus, the Sentul police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the government of Malaysia as defendants.
In her statement of claim, she said at 4:30am on October 30, 2009, a police patrol unit approached the car in which she was a passenger and policeman Mohd Firdaus suddenly opened fire.
Norizan tried to get out but was kicked and stepped on by Mohd Firdaus. She claimed that by then about 14 to 20 police officers had arrived at the scene.
She was taken to Hospital Kuala Lumpur where she underwent surgery. Norizan said she also had surgery at the National Heart Institute to remove a bullet lodged in her lung.
Norizan lodged a police report on November 11, 2009, claiming the defendants had committed assault and battery. She also claimed the shooting was unjustified as she had not committed any crime and that the police had not brought any charge against her in the three years since the incident.
She is claiming special damages for unsettled medical bills amounting to RM18,161, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
In her testimony today, Norizan said she was in a car with her friends, Khairul Aizat Razali, A. Muiz, who was driving, and Muiz’s girlfriend, Mumtaz.
“We were on the way to my house in Segambut Permai when suddenly a police patrol car approached us on the right. We were shocked when a man pointed a gun at us.
“They did not even give us any indication to stop our car. There was no siren or flashing lights,” she said, adding she was seated at the back with Khairul.
Mohd Firdaus, who later testified, denied most of Norizan’s testimony.
Identifying himself as Corporal Mohd Firdaus Rosli, 31, he said he fired two warning shots in the air and used a loudhailer to order the driver to pull over.
“The siren and beacon light were also on,” said the 31-year-old policeman who at the time of the incident was a lance corporal.
“The car, a Proton Perdana, did not stop. I then fired four shots, two from my Walther P99 pistol and two from the MP5 sub-machine gun.”
Mohd Firdaus said he initially tried to stop the car as it looked suspicious.
“It was 4:30am, the car was heavily tinted. I wanted to stop the car to carry out checks. At that time, I did not know if the occupants had committed any offences,” he said.
Mohd Firdaus, who was with the mobile patrol unit at the Sentul district police headquarters, also denied he aimed his weapon at the vehicle even before the chase began, from Jinjang to the MRR2.
He also said he saw a package being thrown out of the vehicle.
“I fired the shots at the tyres only after the driver started driving in a reckless manner, endangering other road users.”
Hearing continues before judge Datuk Hue Siew Kheng on September 27.
Counsel N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya represented Norizan while senior federal counsel Wan Suhaila Mohd and Lee Keng Fatt appeared for the respondents. – September 20, 2013.
BY RITA JONG, The Malaysian Insider