The Police Sergeant who had displayed ‘unruly behavior’ at the Thebuwana Junction while armed with an assault rifle has been interdicted.

The police officer in question, who is attached to the Thebuwana Police Station, had been taken into custody with great difficulty after he had behaved in an unruly manner while armed with his service weapon at the Thebuwana Junction.

A lorry transporting sand had been taken into custody by the Sergeant on September 29, however the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Thebuwana Police Station had released the lorry the following day, stating that the vehicle did have a valid permit to transport sand.

In protest of this decision, the Sergeant had arrived at the Thebuwana Junction this afternoon along with the T56 assault rifle.

In light of this situation, the Superintendent of Police (SP) in charge of Kalutara division, the OICs of Dodangoda and Warakagoda as well as Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel had also arrived at the scene.

The senior police officers and even the relatives of the Sergeant attempted to talk him out of his actions, but it was to no avail as he threatened to shoot himself should anyone get close to him.

However, after more than 2 hours the STF personnel present managed to apprehend the Police Sergeant while the firearm in his hand even fired several times during this operation to subdue him.

The police officer had reportedly spent some 6 months in the custody of the LTTE during the war.

Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara confirmed that the Sergeant has been interdicted.