Man holds baby daughter hostage in standoff with cops

BUKIT MERTAJAM, MALAYSIA - A teenage housewife could only watch in horror as her husband used their 4-month old baby as a human shield in a standoff with police in Kampung Bukit Teh here on Friday.

The 16-year-old spouse's ordeal began after police surrounded their home in the 9am incident.

Her 26-year-old husband, who had convictions for drug-related offences and theft, grabbed their newborn daughter as a human shield when police ordered him to surrender.

Panicked after being surrounded, the suspect grabbed two parang from the house before dashing outside and seeking shelter inside a shack, about 10m away.

Some 15 policemen from the Seberang Perai Tengah district police and their counterparts from the state Narcotics Division tried to coax the suspect to hand over the crying infant and give up. Instead, the suspect was further agitated. He came out of the shack holding the baby and brandishing his parang.

The suspect threatened to slash anyone who dared to come close. He also threatened to slit his newborn's throat if the police tried to approach him.

The suspect also menacingly placed the parang close to the infant's throat.

As the situation worsened, police fired a warning shot into the air but the suspect refused to budge.

Left with no choice, police were forced to shoot the suspect. The shot hit him on his right thigh.

As the suspect collapsed, a policemen rushed to save the infant.

The suspect was sent to Bukit Mertajam Hospital, while his wife had her statement taken at the district police headquarters.

Penang police Criminal Investigations Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mazlan Kesah said the suspect had been on the run for quite some time.

"We ambushed his house on a number of occasions, but he was never at home."

He said the suspect was wanted for two drug-related offences and motorcycle theft.