Police in central Indonesia kill 5 villagers ransacking station to protest death in custody

Indonesian police kill 5 villagers ransacking post

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Police killed five villagers as dozens of people ransacked a station in central Indonesia to protest a person’s death in custody.

Brig. Gen. Amin Saleh said Wednesday more than 100 villagers — some carrying rocks and Molotov cocktails — converged on the police post in Buol district late Tuesday.

He said security forces were forced to open fire after the protesters ignored warning shots. At least 17 people were injured, and most were police struck by rocks.

The protest followed a motorist’s death in police custody Monday. It was unclear why he was detained, but the protesters suspected he was tortured by police.

Buol is in central Sulawesi province, about 1,500 kilometers (957 miles) northeast of Jakarta.