A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) officer who was caught on CCTV scuffling with an elderly man while carrying out a dog catching operation on Mar 23 will not face charges as it was ‘unintentional’.
In a statement released yesterday (Apr 11), MBPJ said no charges were made against the officer because he had accidentally struck 69-year-old Patrick Khoo with a dog-catching tool, reported The Star.
MBPJ: Officer’s actions were ‘unintentional’
While the involved officer will not face any repercussions, MBPJ reiterated that it will not interfere with police investigation or protect those found guilty of wrongdoing.
“The equipment used to catch strays accidentally hit the complainant’s face during an altercation.
MBPJ leaves it to the police for a more transparent investigation and will not protect any personnel involved in wrongdoing.
The council also said that the controversial operation was done after it had received complaints on Feb 25 and March 20 from a resident, adding that a total 16 complaints about strays were lodged in Taman Kanagapuram from 2020 to March 2022.
Recommendations for better procedure identified
Additionally, MBPJ said in the statement that an internal investigation was conducted and that the investigation committee had identified several areas of improvement for its dog-catching operations.
Among it include “ways to identify the level of risk in the operation” in order to help dog-catchers determine what methods should be used.
“Low-risk operations will require the use of body cameras by staff involved. Images during the operation will be taken by senior staff. High-risk operations will be carried out together with the police.
“To ensure transparency during the dog-catching process, MBPJ will invite NGOs and resident associations to join its operations,” it said.
MBPJ also highlighted the health risks that wild dogs pose to children as well as it being a public nuisance and unhygienic.
“This issue cannot be shrugged off and is necessary to address it immediately, especially by local authorities.
“Besides wild cats, bats, and monkeys, wild dogs are the main carrier of rabies,” it said.
Summary of events
On March 23, Malaysians were in uproar after the now-viral clip showed the MBPJ officer and Khoo engaged in a physical altercation, where it left the latter with a swollen jaw and cuts to his wrist.
A day after the incident, Khoo lodged a police report against the officer but instead found himself being hauled to court for obstructing a public officer from carrying out his duties, a charge which he pleaded not guilty.
If found convicted under Section 186 of the Penal Code, Khoo faces a maximum jail term of two years, a RM10,000 fine, or both.
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