Phuket policeman faces a fatal shooting probe after his government-issued Glock 19 fired at home, killing his 49-year-old mother with one shot to the head. He says a live round was chambered as he handled the pistol. Forensic tests are now underway.
A Phuket policeman is under investigation after his government-issued Glock 19 fired at home, killing his mother with a single shot to the head. Pol L/Cpl Chonthee Chanjaem says he was manipulating the pistol’s slide with a live 9mm round chambered when it fired. Sorathatsaratsami Phakdiyaburi, 49, later died in hospital. However, police have yet to conclude the shooting was accidental. Forensic officers seized the Glock, examined the scene and tested the Provincial Police Region 8 officer for gunpowder residue. He was then taken for detailed questioning as investigators tested his account against the physical evidence.
A Phuket policeman says he accidentally shot his mother dead while handling his government-issued Glock 19 at home. Pol L/Cpl Chonthee Chanjaem said a live 9mm round remained inside the pistol’s chamber. He told investigators he was manipulating the Glock’s slide when the weapon discharged. The single bullet struck his 49-year-old mother in the centre of her head.
The fatal shooting unfolded at a house in Koh Kaew, Mueang Phuket district, late on Thursday night. Emergency workers found Sorathatsaratsami Phakdiyaburi unconscious and without a pulse. They immediately performed CPR before rushing her to Vachira Phuket Hospital. However, she later died from the devastating gunshot wound.
Now, Phuket City Police are examining the officer’s account against evidence recovered from the scene. Investigators seized his Glock 19 and examined the government-issued firearm. Notably, forensic officers also tested Pol L/Cpl Chonthee for gunpowder residue. He and the weapon were later taken to Phuket City Police Station for detailed questioning.
Emergency teams race to Koh Kaew home as officer’s mother is found critically wounded by gunfire
The drama began at about 9.20 pm on September 24. Pol Lt Col Sakon Krainara, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation, received the emergency report. He was told somebody had suffered critical gunshot injuries at a Koh Kaew home. The property was located on Koh Kaew Soi 3 in Moo 1.
In response, Phuket City Police Chief Pol Col Chatree Chukaew was informed about the shooting. Officers also coordinated with the Koh Kaew Subdistrict Administrative Organisation rescue team. Phuket Mission Hospital staff joined the emergency response. Police, rescuers and medical personnel then converged on the property.
Inside, they found Sorathatsaratsami with one gunshot wound to the centre of her head. The 49-year-old was unconscious and had no pulse. Rescue workers began CPR at the scene before moving her urgently to hospital. Despite their efforts, she subsequently died from her injuries at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Attention then turned to the woman’s son and the weapon he had been handling. Pol L/Cpl Chonthee serves as a squad leader with Provincial Police Region 8. More specifically, he works with the Crowd Control Unit of its Special Operations Division and Investigation Division. The Glock 19 involved was his service-issued semi-automatic pistol.
Officer says live 9mm round remained chambered as service-issued Glock fired while he handled it
According to the police report, Pol L/Cpl Chonthee had been manipulating the pistol’s slide before the shooting. A live 9mm round remained inside the chamber. The weapon then discharged, according to his statement. Consequently, the bullet struck his mother in the head while she was inside the home.
Crucially, the confirmed reports do not describe a spare cartridge independently misfiring. Instead, the officer’s account concerns a live cartridge already sitting inside the chamber. That distinction establishes the sequence he gave investigators. The Glock fired while he was manipulating its slide with the round still chambered.
Following the shooting, police secured the property for forensic examination. Phuket forensic officers were called to inspect the scene and gather evidence. As part of this work, investigators examined the Glock used in the shooting. They also conducted the gunpowder-residue examination on Pol L/Cpl Chonthee.
Separately, the officer was taken to Phuket City Police Station with the Glock. Investigators then began detailed questioning over the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death. The firearm remained evidence in the inquiry. Police reported that further legal proceedings would follow the investigation.
Forensic officers examine Glock and test policeman for gunpowder residue after fatal Phuket shooting
Meanwhile, Pol Lt Col Sakon remained responsible for investigating the fatal shooting. He declined to provide further details publicly when contacted about the case. Therefore, police have not released a final finding explaining the firearm’s discharge. The accidental shooting description remains the account given by Pol L/Cpl Chonthee.
Significantly, investigators did not end their work after receiving the officer’s statement. They brought forensic personnel into the Koh Kaew property and examined the weapon. Police also subjected the officer to gunpowder-residue testing. His statement can therefore be considered alongside the physical evidence collected after the shooting.
The officer’s account gives investigators a clear sequence to examine. He was handling his service-issued Glock 19 inside the Koh Kaew home. At the time, a live 9mm cartridge remained inside its chamber. He then manipulated the pistol’s slide before the weapon fired.
Seconds later, Sorathatsaratsami was critically wounded. The single round hit the centre of her head and left her unconscious. Rescuers arriving at the property could find no pulse. Nevertheless, they immediately attempted to revive her before rushing her to Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Her death then turned the incident into a fatal shooting investigation involving a serving police officer. Moreover, the weapon was issued for official police use. Investigators therefore retained the Glock while examining the circumstances surrounding its discharge. Pol L/Cpl Chonthee was also taken away for detailed questioning.
Police weigh officer’s account against physical evidence as no final finding is released in Phuket
In parallel, forensic officers processed the scene and collected evidence. Their work included examining the government-issued firearm involved in the shooting. The gunpowder-residue examination provided another piece of evidence for investigators. Police have not yet disclosed the results of those examinations.
The known events began with the emergency report at about 9.20 pm. Within minutes, senior Phuket City Police officers, rescuers and medical personnel were responding. At the house, they found one critically wounded victim. There was one reported gunshot wound, directly to the centre of her head.
By contrast, the circumstances before that shot depend initially on the account given by her son. Pol L/Cpl Chonthee told police the Glock discharged while he manipulated its slide. A live 9mm round remained chambered at that moment. The bullet then struck his mother.
Forensic investigators are now able to examine the weapon against that account. They also have evidence gathered from the property and testing conducted on the officer. At the same time, police have questioned Pol L/Cpl Chonthee in detail. Those steps form part of the continuing legal process.
Importantly, no final police conclusion has been announced in the supplied reports. Police have not publicly disclosed the complete forensic findings from the Glock. Nor have they announced the result of the gunpowder-residue examination. Instead, investigators have continued their inquiry before further legal proceedings.
Investigators continue questioning officer as forensic results from fatal shooting remain undisclosed
Some secondary accounts have added details beyond the confirmed police reporting. Yet the stronger local reports do not establish that the bullet travelled through a wall. Similarly, they do not confirm that a specific involuntary-homicide charge has already been filed. Police reporting instead refers to questioning and further legal proceedings.
What is established is stark. A serving Provincial Police Region 8 officer was handling his government-issued Glock 19. A live 9mm cartridge remained inside the chamber as he manipulated its slide. The weapon discharged and one bullet struck his mother in the head.
Soon afterwards, emergency workers were fighting to save the 49-year-old woman inside the Koh Kaew property. She had no pulse and remained unconscious. CPR began before rescuers moved her urgently to Vachira Phuket Hospital. However, she later died from the gunshot injury.
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Thereafter, the focus shifted from emergency treatment to forensic evidence. Police examined the scene and took possession of the Glock. They tested Pol L/Cpl Chonthee for gunpowder residue and brought him to Phuket City Police Station. The government-issued pistol accompanied him as evidence.
The investigation now rests with Phuket City Police under Pol Lt Col Sakon. Forensic findings will be considered alongside the officer’s statement and evidence recovered from the property. For now, police have released no final determination on the fatal discharge. Further legal proceedings will follow the investigation.
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