Knife-wielding Frenchman Ba Adam has died after police shot him in Bangkok when two Taser deployments failed and an officer was wounded. Investigators are probing the fatal confrontation after residents reported days of escalating and erratic behaviour.
A French man has died after a violent police shooting in Bangkok that followed a knife rampage in which two Taser deployments failed, a police officer was slashed and armed officers opened fire to end the attack. The deadly showdown came after residents reported days of increasingly disturbing behaviour and escalating confrontations. Investigators are now reconstructing every moment as witness accounts reveal the chain of events that ended in a fatal attack in Suan Luang.
A French man shot by Bangkok police after a knife rampage in Suan Luang district has died from his injuries. The confrontation left one police officer wounded after two Taser deployments failed to stop the attack.
Police identified the dead man as 34-year-old Ba Adam. He died at Police General Hospital on Saturday after being shot outside an apartment building in Soi Phatthanakan 43 on Friday.
The violence began after Khlong Tan Police Station received reports of a foreign man threatening residents. Police said he demanded money and damaged property around the apartment building before officers arrived.
In response, Pol Lt Col Tharet Wongwaranurak, deputy superintendent for prevention and suppression, ordered Pol Lt Col Sarayut Am Sathan, the station’s prevention and suppression inspector, to lead officers to the scene.
Police Taser fails twice before armed French suspect wounds officer and is shot in Bangkok incident
By the time police arrived, the Frenchman had gone back inside his accommodation. Officers identified themselves and ordered him to put down the knife. However, police said he refused. Instead, he charged towards officers while still armed.
Officers first tried to end the confrontation without using firearms. They fired a Taser twice within seconds. Neither deployment stopped him, police said. He continued advancing despite repeated commands.
The situation then turned critical. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Jarut Yaemsuan, attached to Khlong Tan Police Station’s prevention and suppression unit, was slashed across the right calf. Police said the suspect had closed to striking distance, leaving officers unable to retreat safely.
Officers then fired three rounds. The bullets struck the Frenchman in both thighs and the abdomen. Only then were officers able to secure the knife and take him into custody.
Police immediately gave the suspect first aid at the scene. He was then rushed to Police General Hospital for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Jarut was taken to Vibharam Hospital. Doctors treated the knife wound to his right calf. His condition was later described as stable. Despite emergency treatment, Ba Adam died on Saturday. Police have confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.
Residents recall a week of strange behaviour and repeated aggression before deadly police shooting
Residents said the fatal confrontation came after almost a week of increasingly disturbing behaviour. A resident identified only as Nang Jaew told police the Frenchman had moved into the apartment building about a week earlier. She said a Thai woman, with whom he had previously been in a relationship, brought him there before leaving him on his own.
Afterwards, neighbours began noticing unusual behaviour. According to Nang Jaew, the Frenchman regularly walked around the building taking photographs with his mobile phone. She said he photographed almost every area of the property. Consequently, many residents became increasingly uneasy about his presence.
Separately, the witness described a series of confrontations before Friday’s shooting. On the previous evening, she said, the Frenchman went to the entrance of the soi carrying a knife. There, he argued with another foreign national. Police attended and calmed the situation before anyone was injured.
Later that night, another confrontation followed. At about midnight, he argued with a different foreign man. The dispute almost turned into a fight before ending without serious violence. Nevertheless, residents said tensions continued to rise.
Final disturbance ends with police gunfire as investigators examine every stage of fatal knife attack
Then came Friday’s final confrontation. Police said the Frenchman again threatened people around the apartment building. He also demanded money and damaged property. Frightened residents called Khlong Tan Police Station as the disturbance escalated.
Responding officers quickly located the suspect after he returned to his room. As part of the operation, they attempted to negotiate before using force. Officers repeatedly ordered him to surrender the knife. Instead, police said he rushed at them.
Notably, officers relied on less-lethal force before drawing their firearms. They discharged a Taser twice, but the suspect kept advancing. Moments later, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Jarut was wounded. Officers then fired three shots to stop the attack. Within seconds, the suspect was on the ground and in custody.
35-year-old Frenchman arrested on Koh Phangan on Sunday for rape as island-wide swoop nets 6 suspects
Drug taking hotelier, a Frenchman, arrested by police on Koh Phangan in a major local police operation
On another front, investigators are now reconstructing every stage of the confrontation. Witness statements, forensic evidence and police accounts are all being examined. The inquiry will also review the officers’ use of force after less-lethal measures failed.
Before his death, police said the Frenchman would face legal proceedings once he had recovered sufficiently to provide a statement. His death has now ended that process. Police have not released any information on what may have caused his behaviour. The investigation into the fatal confrontation is continuing.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Russian-Chinese Koh Phangan alliance to sell drugs to foreigners. Accused entered Thailand illegally
Crackdown aimed at upending foreign business trade moves from Koh Phangan to Phuket. Four arrested
Crackdown to wipe out foreign business abuses and ownership on Koh Phangan & Koh Samui intensifies
