KUALA LUMPUR: A new breed of violent criminals who shoot or attack rather than surrender is forcing police to use deadly force against them.

"There is no shoot-to-kill policy by the police as claimed by certain quarters," said Federal CID director Datuk Bakri Zinin.

"In all cases where criminals have been gunned down, police were fired upon or attacked first. In some cases, police have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty."

Bakri defended the police's action, saying the officers and men were within their rights to act in self-defence, adding that when police shot at criminals, it was not to kill but to stop the threat of deadly force.

"No one, including the police, wants to take the life of a human but there are times when there is no other option to protect the lives of people or ourselves," he said yesterday.
In the latest shoot-out on Tuesday, four criminals were gunned down near a petrol station at Batu Tiga, Shah Alam.

One of the criminals with a Steyr 9mm automatic pistol fired shots at the approaching police party, forcing a return of fire.

Checks showed that two of the four shot dead had been detained in Simpang Renggam under preventive laws.

However, the family of D. Loga-nathan, who was shot dead, has challenged the police's claim that he was involved in crime.

They have demanded that an inquiry be held.