Sattahip police say a viral video of a rock-throwing attack allegedly ignored by authorities likely is a fake.
Col. Metawit Praditpol, superintendent at Sattahip Police Station, said a closer examination of the video shared widely on Facebook Feb. 12 does not depict events detailed in comments by the video poster and looks to have been filmed in a different area. Furthermore, the video poster has refused to talk more with police about the incident.
Metawit launched an investigation into the video, which garnered local police much derision for allegedly ignoring an attack on a family car by rock-throwing teenagers. He said it cast a bad light on police who, as it turns out, have no record of any criminal activity claimed by the person who uploaded the video clip.
This still image taken from video shows the attackers trying to gain access to the car.
Facebook user “Arnon Ng” posted the video along with a story of his friend, who was driving near the first-kilometer market on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip with his family and three children when they were approached by two youths on a motorbike who attempted to pull him out of the vehicle.
The friend drove off, but was pursued for eight kilometers by the youths, who repeatedly pelted his car with rocks.
According to the Facebook poster, his friend called police after escaping, but was told officers would not do anything as the youths were just “troublemakers” and he was advised to go home.
Metawit said, however, that the duty officer on at that time doesn’t recall any incident and no call to the emergency 191 line was logged at that time.
He said when officers contacted the Facebook user, “Arnon Ng” refused to provide any information about the victim.
Finally, the clip itself does not show any rock attack and appears to have been shot in a developed area, not the more rural lower Sukhumvit area.
Despite their doubts about the veracity of the online video, police said they welcome the photographer or victim to come in and talk to officers face-to-face.
