BUTTERWORTH: A 49-year-old man high on police wanted list with some 54 previous criminal convictions was shot dead by police in a shootout this morning.
The man, K Jevanantha nicknamed "Money", had fired four shots at the police during ‘Op Cantas’ carried out a team of North Seberang Prai police in Lorong Kubur about 5am.
Its district police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said Jevanantha was riding on his motorcycle and turning into the secluded lane when policemen spotted him.
"The team ordered him to stop but the man alighted from his machine and starting to run.
"Jevanantha then whipped out a pistol while running and fired four shots at the team.
"One shot hit the bumper of a police vehicle parked in front of the team. The remaining three shots fired did not hit any target.
"Our man returned fire and hit him at the chest and head," Abdul Rahman said in a press conference at the Butterworth police station.
Abdul Rahman said the man was armed and dangerous, and wanted for three murder cases and 17 robberies as well as several car thefts in Kedah, Perak, Johor and Pahang.
His body was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital for a post-mortem.